Abstract
This project is an Alternative Culminating Experience for a Master of Arts in Education: Curriculum and Instruction with an Emphasis on Arts in Education. It follows Pathway I: Artist as Educator. The purpose of this project was to develop the author's skills in narrative painting. The project was the creation of a small body of work, including four finished paintings that implied a story. The author is a teacher of visual art currently working with middle-school students, and though she is a capable painter, she has not painted with any regularity for the past fifteen years. Her interest in narration stems from her love of reading, particularly novels and short stories. In preparation for the project, the author enrolled in two consecutive painting courses at Sacramento State University. These were rigorous courses intended to improve the author's understanding of light, color and form. To gain further insight, the work of narrative painters Johannes Vermeer and Edward Hopper was studied as well as the work of writers Eudora Welty and John Steinbeck. Through her research the author discovered similarities in the process and attributes of storytelling inherent in both disciplines. This made her question why the study of art is not considered essential in today's society. To gain perspective, the author looked at some of the key theorists in education throughout history and their pedagogical practices. Finally, she concluded that all knowledge was of importance and should be equally accessible.