Teaching Art At The Barn Studio.

For the past six weeks I have been teaching a Painting class in South Jersey.

I get up before the sun, and drive down through the farmscapes I've loved since I was a child.

The ten week adult classes I teach are at The Barn Studio, in Millville. 

I've been a "Friend of the Barn" for over fifty years. And in an earlier incarnation it really was a barn.

The Barn's founder, Pat Witt, likes to come down to say "Hello" to the students, even when it's not one of the classes she is teaching. Most of these "Barnies" have known Pat for many years, as I have.

In this class there are students working in Watercolor, Oil, or Acrylic, mediums with which I've had lots of experience using. Half of my job is assuring them each is an artist, no matter their skill level.

Here I'm doing a demo in oils from part of a still-life, to make a point about using fresh clean color.

The demo.

Here is another demo done last week, but this time in watercolors. I rarely do still-lifes, but this one was lots of fun to do.

We know the class is over when Pat's cats start climbing up on the still-lifes, to sleep under the warm lamps. I'll be teaching this class again for ten weeks, starting on Thurs. Jan. 5th thru 8 Mar. 2012.
For registration go to: http://barnstudio.org/

Birthday Boy At Ninety Nine.

Last Thursday my dear Dad turned ninety-nine years old.

I bought him a very nice looking cake, at Whole Foods.

While he was opening cards from well-wishers he complained that he'd gotten "too many damn phone calls" in the morning. But I knew he loved the attention.

At mid-day we took a ride, and of course, the Birthday-Boy drove.

He had to get some blood tests done at the local hospital. I'm afraid I just cannot watch when my Dad gets poked.

But when the nurse asked the routine question, "Do you know when you were born?," Pop took great pleasure in answering "Yes, on this day, ninety-nine years ago!" She laughed and wished him a happy
birthday.

We then went back to his little South Jersey home. He was getting a bit tired, so this time, I drove.
I knew Pop was about to give himself a gift on this; his special day.

A Birthday nap.