Many years ago, I wrote a blog post about a Holbein watercolor palette that I had purchased.  I had seen photos and video of the legendary Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki using a Holbein palette and I was excited to try it.  To my disappointment, I found out that my "Holbein" palette is actually a cheaper version made by some mystery company.  I've used that knock-off palette for years but it led me to wonder: "what are the real Holbein palettes like?"
  Well, after many years, I finally got my hands on a genuine Holbein watercolor folding palette.  It's hard to put a date on it, but it seems these palettes are extremely rare and no longer made in Japan.  I can't help but feel a touch of sadness when I can't find good quality art supplies, clothes, furniture, cooking pots or whatever it might be.  And it's not even like our materials nowadays are at least "good"--the materials nowadays are flat-out bad in comparison.
  Photos of this palette don't do it justice so I'll just describe it: Firstly, it's solid and maybe twice as heavy as the cheaper palette.  The metal is sturdy and I'm guessing that it's steel instead of flimsy aluminum.  There are no sharp edges and it closes beautifully (the cheaper palette has sharp corners and edges).  The other huge difference is that it's actually enameled on the inside; the cheaper palette is just spray painted white, but the genuine Holbein has a beautiful enamel coating inside.  I haven't used it yet, but it makes my other palette feel like a toy.
  Do better materials produce better paintings?  Will my genuine Holbein palette make me as skilled as the great Miyazaki?  Haha, well, of course not, but I'll say that this genuine palette makes me feel like I should paint better.  It's like when I wear a nice suit and I stand a little taller.  Painting is hard enough and any bit of  confidence from the materials is always helpful!

  This year, I am proud to say is my 10th year as a teacher.  I've had an interesting path to where I am today so I wanted to look back and reminisce a little.
  My earliest experience in teaching actually goes back to being a teaching assistant for a cartoonist when I was in high school.  I had already started painting, but I also loved drawing cartoons so my high school art teacher recommended me for this after-school teacher's assistant job.  It was a class at our local library and I was so young, but I remember the nice feeling of being in a classroom and helping these young students with their drawings.
  Later on, in college, there were a few younger students who asked me to critique their work for them.  I was probably a 3rd or 4th year at this point and I had spent countless hours in the library studying about painting, methods and materials.  I learned that many of the artists whom I admired had also been teachers.  I felt honored to critique their work and it gave me a deep joy which I would rediscover a few years later.
 After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, I entered the world in 2014 with some hesitation.  I knew what I loved, but I wasn't sure of how to apply that as a practical career.  I think for many artists, this transition isn't easy.  College is sort of a bubble which I think is  necessary in order to concentrate, but it can lead to a certain impractical and unrealistic viewpoint.  I lived off-campus and I worked two different jobs, but I was still unsure of how I would live beyond college... Not to mention the bigger question of  how to "make it" as an artist.
  What I wish someone had told me was of the importance of real connections and networking.  I didn't realize that becoming a good painter was only part of the battle.  The other (probably more important) part is the ability to connect on a personal level with others.  More about this in a bit..
  So, back to young Eric and his confusion upon entering the world.  I had started writing articles and sharing information here on this blog--Articles about painting, techniques, art history, and some more philosophical topics.  I've always liked writing and sharing my ideas so this was an unmotivated act of enjoyment.
  The networking came in when my Mom became friendly with a coworker and her spouse; they both were Professors at Bergen Community College.  My Mom is my best friend and always my biggest supporter, so she inquired to her new friends about getting her son (me) to start teaching. (Thank you Mom!)
  Meanwhile, I was doing clerical work at an art gallery in NYC, but it wasn't creative in anyway and I could feel my soul shriveling up inside.  I was doing some commissions, but it wasn't steady and I was beginning to feel uneasy.  It's funny to think back as I asked myself, "Would this whole thing work out?".  Little did I know, my Mom's new friends were checking out my blog and they felt that I could be a good teacher.  They commissioned me to do a painting and we all became friends.
  I got an interview to teach at Bergen (with the assistance of my new guardian angels) and eventually was offered an Adjunct Professor position in 2015.  My class was an Art 101 course which was mostly art history with some philosophy and culture as well.  As I mentioned, I've always enjoyed sharing ideas via discussion so the classroom felt like a second home.  I kept learning how to lecture and it just felt right.  It felt like, "this is what I'm meant to do".
  Since then, I've taught younger children (5-8 years old), middle schoolers, high schoolers and adults.  I've had hundreds of students and I've loved teaching all of them.  Now, I am really focusing on workshops, but I still enjoy lecturing in art history also. (Look out for my upcoming lectures at the Mahwah Public Library during the spring and summer)
​   I taught for many years at the Ridgewood Community School which gave me great experience in teaching studio art for all skill levels.  I taught beginner watercolor and drawing and then advanced levels also.  I really loved teaching there and their staff and my students were wonderful. (I miss you guys!)
  As a teacher, I am also continually learning.  It's important for me to make new discoveries and to find inspiration in my own work in order to share it with my students.  For me, one of the best ways to find this inspiration is to travel.  I lived at Claude Monet's estate for 3 months in 2023 and then I was in Italy for 2 months in 2024 to finish my Master's Degree.  Now, I'm excited to be teaching some 2025 spring travel workshops across the UK and Europe!
  And my current project, which I am very excited about, is to host an instructional painting and travel program on American Public Television (APT).  My show is titled, Eric En Plein Air™ and will be all about the practice and joys of painting in nature.  I've been working hard to put together my concepts and vision and I owe so much to my friend and mentor, J Schwanke.  I can't wait to share more soon!
  Looking back, the last 10 years has had a lot of twists and turns.  I never could have predicted where I am now, but I am always thankful to everyone who has supported me and been a part of this journey.  I can't wait to see what's next!
 For more information about my teaching, check out my TEACHING PAGE.  

  Tonight was my last lesson of shodo (Japanese calligraphy) and my final project was a kanji postcard.  I chose the kanji: 園 which means "Garden".
  I'm so thankful that I had the opportunity to study this traditional art form with a true master, Ms. Denri Takai.  It's so important to keep these practices alive and to study them directly.
  For me, I loved learning about how to use the brush by watching Denri.  As a teacher myself, I try my best to put it into works, but I've found that a lot of painting is beyond words.  Taking a class in person allowed me to watch Denri and for her to guide my hand as I practiced.  This artform is very deep (philosophically and technically) and I have a whole new appreciation for the craft of it.  I wonder if it's really possible to make a "perfect" stroke with the brush?  Maybe, but I still believe that perfection is an illusion.
  Also, to be a student again was like a breath of fresh air.  It actually felt great to be a frustrated beginner!  And I feel like this way of painting will have an impact on my own work, especially my watercolors.  The power and directness of a single brushstroke will resonate in any form of painting.
  I hope to motivate everyone out there to try something new and to take a class to support teachers.  Not just art, but language, writing, sports--It could be anything!  Personally, I would love to take a pottery wheel course sometime in the near future also...
  Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there!

  Over the last few weeks, I've been enjoying a Japanese calligraphy (shodo) course taught by Ms. Denri Takai.  The course covers the materials and methods to write with a brush and ink.  Readers of my blog know that I've had a long fascination with Japan so this is something that I'm very interested in from both a cultural and aesthetic point of view.
  Like many things, it looks so simple on the outside.  And my teacher makes it look effortless (she has been doing it since childhood and is the descendant of Dengo Takai who is a calligrapher from the 1860s).  Trying it myself, I can say the challenges seem endless.  The movement and shape of the brush, the consistency of the ink, the spacing of the strokes and characters are all separate challenges.
  Other factors come into place also such as posture and my mental state.  There's no going back once the brush touches the paper so it can be intimidating.  I'm still a total novice at this, but I've already realized the depth of these challenges.  After class, I feel pretty tired because of the concentration required.  But it's still a lot of fun and the course integrates other aspects of Japanese culture and language.
  Many of these principles also apply to watercolor painting so I've been thinking about how watercolor and shodo correlate.  Brush control is really the ultimate goal for any form of painting, but the only way to achieve that is with lots of practice.  The confidence that my teacher has is a result of training and practice, practice, practice.  I feel like students sometimes try to bypass this fact by asking, "what is the secret?"
  I'm learning a lot with this course and I'll keep studying it on my own after the course.  It's really a never-ending journey and the spiritual and artistic crossover is fascinating to me.