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Showing posts from August, 2011

The Excitement of a Workshop

What will you do with this one wild and precious life?  36x60" oil/cold wax on panel  ©Janice Mason Steeves  Tomorrow I teach a two-day workshop here in my home studio.  Today I am preparing. First things first, I'm cleaning my studio.  What a job that is, sorting papers, cleaning shelves, vacuuming and moving paintings to the garage to make room for eight students.  Each time I teach a workshop, I plan what I will do that is different. I consider what I have learned from teaching my last class.  How can I teach better? We come with high expectations into a workshop, everyone looking for something from it.  Some might hope to find their artistic voices.  Some want to come and learn a fun new technique.   My own sense is that people come because they want to move somewhere else in their painting .  Many want the inspiration to 'get back at it' if they have stopped making art for a while.  Some want to break through to new places in their work.  I belie