three dimensional arts

Half of the artists think the world is flat and become painters and graphic artists. The other half know it is round and become sculptors. This is the area of the Palomar College Art Department where students learn how to design and create three-dimensional artwork, including ceramics, jewelry, poured metal, wood, and both flat and blown glass.

3-D design is the starting place. Here students learn the elements and principles of three-dimensional design.
Sculpture courses are taught in both ceramics and mixed media. The end results of these pursuits may be purely aesthetic but may also have utilitarian aspects.

The designing and making of utilitarian objects has always been an important aspect in our history. In this area students learn to use the materials and techniques that have in the past been referred to as crafts. The goal of this area is to enable students to learn the concepts and skills needed to produce decorative and utilitarian objects with a high degree of aesthetic and technical proficiency. Ceramic courses investigate hand building and wheel throwing of clay objects and their decoration and firing. Glass courses investigate stained (flat) glass design and fabrication and offhand glass blowing. The glass blowing program at Palomar College is one of the best in the Southern California area and is well known throughout the state. Jewelry courses investigate the design, fabrication and casting of precious metals objects, metalsmithing and enameling. Additional courses investigate the design and fabrication of beautiful objects in wood and mixed media.