Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

Summer Special is here. Create a Practice Sustained Investigation with an AP art tutor’s help

Ap Art tutors have a brand new special offer for you. Whether it’s help with college portfolios or understanding the AP Art & Design Portfolio, this special 4 session experience will kick off your inspiration for the upcoming school year.

We ‘ve designed a short course specifically for Ap Art which also works beautifully for college applications. It will be personally tailored to your interests and talents in art. How do we do it? Experience! And a passion for art to match your own. We’ll work together to create a practice Sustained Investigation in 4 sessions.

We’ve priced it at 50% off for this summer only. Details are on the website. No introductory meeting is necessary, just book it NOW, as spaces are limited!

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

AP Portfolios, Rubrics, Sustained Investigation.. need help??

Your AP ART TUTORS are excited about answering all your questions about helping you create your best AP ART & DESIGN portfolio by reviewing your artwork, understanding the Sustained Investigation and Rubrics! Contact us now to get help with all your Advanced Placement submission questions!

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

Help! I’m stuck on my Sustained Investigation

Find the best art tutor! It can make a difference before the 2024 Deadline May 10. We’re the right choice for many reasons. We’re artists, we’re experienced in the College Board Art & Design Portfolios and even now, we can help you mold your ideas into a great portfolio for Spring

Finding the right art tutor can make a huge difference this time of year, and here are some simple reasons why. In creating the Advanced Placement Art & Design Portfolio, there are some categories of problem solving to consider. 

Some students have been working independently and may not understand the importance of the Sustained Investigation rubric, how to showcase their written portion using 100 characters, including spacing for individual works, and 1200 characters, including spacing for the written evidence summary. They may be unclear about the amount of work needed, about showing process over progress, or the other subtle scoring practices that count even more than virtuosity in skill.

Some may have teachers who lack experience with the AP Art & Design Portfolio, or who haven’t been trained in the complexities of the portfolio through a College Board National Institute Training. This can lead to a lot of confusion, and we’ve seen some portfolios that do not exhibit any of the  process oriented experimentation with underlying coherence, necessary to pass or get a top score.  Confusion leads to stress, which can then undermine motivation.

The deadline is soon,but don’t wait too long for the guidance we offer. By receiving personalized instruction, targeted feedback, and assistance with portfolio development, students can maximize their potential and approach the exam with confidence and readiness.

Contact us for a free consultation.

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

December is a great time to take a deep breath!

Your AP art tutors have had a busy, productive 2023. We have worked with art students from Dubai to Palo Alto. As we begin 2024, what can we do to help you? And sometimes help means taking a deep breath, and clearing your head to make room for new ideas!

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

Summer Celebrations

This year’s students have been getting back to me about their awards, successful college admissions and 5’s on portfolios. I’ve had my own successes with art shows in galleries and online. Here’s the most recent: ( does it look familiar?) This was inspired by my first visit to Italy and Pompeii

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

Student Awards and Announcements!

I WISH I could share some of the amazing art created by the students I work with. And I work with many for different goals. One of my tutoring students just won 2 Gold Keys in the Regional Scholastic Art Awards, 2023 and is on her way to compete in the National Awards. Several have gotten into the colleges of their choice in the early admission stages. Not one has been turned down. And last year’s AP scores were high, all 4’s and 5’s. I am happy to come to yours if you are in the S.F. Bay Area, but Zoom has worked for students everywhere, from Dubai to Florida, Arizona, the East Coast and more.

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

A new year guided by past success...

In 2022, these students have ranged from AP students in Dubai to others across the USA. They accomplished so much more than their expectations, in the AP exam and in acceptance to their top choice colleges.

Not the distant past, though.. the recent past successes of my amazing and diverse clients. In 2022, these students have ranged from AP students in Dubai to others across the USA. They accomplished so much more than their expectations, in the AP exam and in acceptance to their top choice colleges. This year, I’ve been able to work locally, directly helping my students with art lessons as well as coaching on zoom for students entering art competitions.

This semester I hope to be tutoring and coaching you in the intricacies of a successful AP Art & Design Portfolio, striving for 5s . I will guide you to your best work, and help streamline one of the most difficult aspects of the portfolio, the Sustained Investigation Written Evidence and Rubric! Come join me, it will be a lot of fun for us both.

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

new beginnings

A new school year brings excitement , hope and sometimes a little fear. Have I forgotten everything I know? Of course not, but everyone gets a little rusty every now and then. I spent my summer creating some fun paintings, and exploring some small watercolor landscapes.One of the best ways to enter a new project is to be playful ! And, if you’re not instantly inspired, try practicing value scales, or making even, directional strokes when you are just sitting around. Play with color studies by looking at nature, or clothing or toys, and jot down the color combinations in a sketchbook, matching the colors as close as you can. New beginnings means a new approach to art fun and understanding.

Read More
Audrey Brown Audrey Brown

Art and Fear… Our Imperfections

How can we recognize our “imperfections?” What to keep and what to discard? As artists, we get frustrated a lot! But that frustration can lead to the next level of ideas or technique. Recognize it, or talk about it with another artist. What works , what doesn’t. It takes a long time to learn to be your own critic, without emotion. It’s all a process, and sometimes the process means going back a bit before going forward. 

Does this resonate with you? I was reminded of the wisdom of a book called “Art & Fear”, when I was struggling with some painting ideas last month. I read a blog  by one of my  great teachers, a great contemporary artist named Alyssa Monks.

No matter if we have been creating art for a few months, a few years or are completely New York famous, we all go through moments of  doubt, of making mistakes. The key is to keep going , on to the next piece, and the next, always learning and expanding. That’s the way to blossom.


Read More