Taimur Cleary, a faculty member in Northern Michigan University’s School of Art & Design, teaches a class in outdoor painting Tuesday at the school. Students from Aba Teachers University in China were visiting NMU for an English Language Institute focused on art. (Journal photo by Christie Bleck)

MARQUETTE — Students from Aba Teachers University in China will have more than a memory of visiting Black Rocks on Presque Isle. They also will have cherished pastel drawings of the famous local outdoor spot.

The students were to spend about two weeks at Northern Michigan University for an English Language Institute, which focused on art.

Faculty from NMU’s School of Art & Design were to teach ceramics, graphic design, human-centered design and outdoor painting, with the institute coordinating the cultural and language segments.

All these activities took place in the Art & Design building.

Well, most of them.

The two-day painting class participants spent time Monday at Black Rocks, a rugged spot at Presque Isle along the Lake Superior shoreline. The students continued to work on their artistic scenes from Black Rocks at the Art & Design building Tuesday.

“We did very short drawings, and I kind of showed a few examples of some techniques,” instructor Taimur Cleary said.

Most of the students were using the course’s main materials, dry pastels, for the first time, he said.

Getting them to Black Rocks gave them a chance to get outside, obviously.

“A lot of it is really just not necessarily specifically inside or outside but, what do these new materials do?” Cleary said.

Student Xundie Peng said Black Rocks is “gorgeous,” although she seemed to enjoy the instruction as well.

“I think the class is very fun,” she said.

A translator helped with the students’ understanding of the lecture, but many visuals were used as well — visuals that required little translation.

They included photographs of a Claude Monet painting of water lilies, which although Cleary said is realistic has a composition that makes it a bit abstract.

A Grant Wood painting depicting a natural setting also was shown.

“Landscape, but imagination is required,” Cleary said.

At the head of the class, he worked on his “representational” artwork depicting Black Rocks, which was realistic.

“That is my style,” Cleary said. “Your style will be your choice. While your style is your decision, the subject will be the same for everyone. It will still be our time yesterday at Black Rocks.”

During his demonstration, he showed them various techniques, such as adding color to the sky.

“Water is reflecting the sky, so colors and sky, same colors as water,” Cleary said.

A rule in Tuesday’s indoor session was that the students could use their phone photograph for only an hour. After the drawings were finished, they were to talk in groups about how to apply the ideas they learned — emotion, atmosphere, spirit, expression, beauty and creativity — to the drawings they made Tuesday.

The summer program is an extension of a re-established relationship between the assistant director of the School of Art & Design at Aba Teachers University and Daric Christian, associate dean of the NMU School of Art & Design.

There are several goals for the program, Christian said.

“One is cultural exchange, and that involves both having students and faculty exchange ideas,” said Christian, who traveled with fellow faculty member Keith Ellis to Aba Teachers University in May where they taught classes.

They also talked with faculty there about teaching methodology, and two of those faculty members are expected to teach traditional Chinese painting at NMU in the fall.

“That will be unique for our students to have that approach to painting.” Christian said.

The summer program also is the first step for student exchange, with the hope the visitors will improve their English skills, he said. It also is hoped NMU students will travel to Aba Teachers University to be exposed to its faculty and art methods.

In the meantime, the students’ pastel drawings showed a lot of promise and talent.

“We work pretty hard too,” Cleary said.

Christie Bleck can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 250. Her email address is cbleck@miningjournal.net.