Really interesting article about loneliness and the effects of covid.  Read the full article here: https://thepenngazette.com/parties-of-one/

  I'm very proud and excited to be returning to teach for the Ridgewood Community School.  This is my 6th semester teaching at RCS and it will be my 2nd semester teaching virtually as a result of covid.  I put a lot of thought into how to best teach a virtual class with subjects as tactile as drawing and painting.  Always taking student feedback into consideration, I am very confident with the quality and breadth of my virtual courses.
  For spring 2021, I will be teaching Drawing for Beginners, Watercolor for Beginners and Watercolor for Beginners II.  The courses are each designed for a different experience level of student.  *I will be covering the drawing course this semester because the regular teacher is unable to teach it this semester.
  Drawing for Beginners will cover the essentials of drawing.  Drawing is one of the oldest and purest forms of art making and is a great way to explore the world around you as well as yourself.  Drawing materials and techniques will be covered, demonstrated and explained.
 Watercolor for Beginners is designed for novices or anyone without previous experience and will primarily revolve around introductory methods, materials, color mixing, brush handling and essential techniques.
 Watercolor for Beginners II is more advanced and will delve into more advanced techniques, other aqueous materials (including gouache), color theory, composition and ways of seeing.
 The Community School also has many other great courses from languages to cooking and many other subjects.  Another bonus of these classes is that they provide some social relief during this lonely pandemic; so if you're feeling isolated, then I would encourage you to join a course.  I look forward to seeing my students soon.
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If you have any questions about these courses, you can send me a message directly through my CONTACT PAGE.  You can also contact the RCS director Ms. Shelly Stanton at: sstanton@ridgewood.k12.nj.us
For more information and to register for courses either online, by mail or by phone, follow this link: https://rcs.ridgewood.k12.nj.us/brochure__registration

  I'm currently re-reading The Art Spirit by Robert Henri.  I first read it when I was about 16 and I didn't really appreciate it fully at that time.  I'm gaining so much wisdom from this book right now and I highly recommend it to everyone (not just artists).
  Here's some excerpts that I took photos of.  The quality of the writing throughout the entire book is really beautiful.

  It's always a fun challenge to paint en plein air and I always end up learning something from it.  It forces me to paint quickly and to make the best of the situation. 
  If you're using watercolor en plein air in cold weather, remember that your watercolor can freeze on you, so you may be better off with oils.  It's also tough because the watercolor doesn't fully dry on the paper so your watercolor can bloom easily.  Today was sunny and the ambient temperature was above freezing so I decided to use watercolor.  I have done watercolors in the snow before, but I wanted to do a larger piece that had a nice sense of space to it.  
  The reason I love painting is because it helps me to make memories and document adventures.  It almost doesn't how the painting turns out because I learned something new and I had fun.  I think I'll do some more snow scenes since we'll have this snow for a while.