Another semester is in the books and it always makes me sad and nostalgic.  What I love about teaching is that each class is a different group of people and a different experience.  My students always hold a special place in my heart and I wish them the absolute best on their journeys!
  Also, for Spring 2020: I'll be teaching Art 101 at Bergen Community College and watercolor painting at the Ridgewood Community School again so I'll be looking forward to it!  Then I have grad school in the fall of 2020 so we'll see what adventures come next..  Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everyone!

  A big announcement that I've been waiting to share with my blog readers:  I just finished applying to a few graduate schools!  I first have to thank my loving colleagues, friends, mentors and former teachers who wrote letters of recommendation for me (I really owe them a lot).
  I don't want to share which schools I've applied to yet, but once I receive decisions around early spring, then I will obviously do a blog post about it.  I'm also going to be visiting one of the schools tomorrow for a tour which I'm super excited about!
  In the meantime, I'll be painting a bunch, sharing ideas and insights on this blog and teaching the spring semester.  
  Happy holidays to everyone!

  Some things I've been thinking about recently: It's hitting me really hard recently how important it is for me to paint and draw from life and create work just for me.  It's probably the most important thing for me to do.  The other thing I've been thinking a lot about recently is focusing intensely on my teaching.  I was just given an incredible teaching opportunity and I want to do the best possible job I can.  I don't want any extraneous things and I need some things to be just for me.
  I'm also reading some books (The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle and Power Vs. Force by Dr. David R. Hawkins) that are making me think about my own perceptions.  It's all just stuff that I'm going through and I need to do it on my own and with those I love and who love me.  I feel at a crucial point in my journey.  I'll always be sharing some thoughts on this blog but I'll mostly be focusing on myself.

  I'm very happy to announce that I'll be teaching one section of Art 101 at Bergen Community College for the Fall 2019 semester.  I first taught there from 2015 to 2018 and I'm very proud to be a part of Bergen again.
​contact me at esantoli@bergen.edu