OK, let's dive right into the next 10 web sites, but first I wanted you to know that I have about 10 sites left to show and they're going into the October newsletter. Get me yours if you haven't already so we can show the world.

BUT... before you look, here's the scrapbook from our Ken Mcindoe NYC painting workshop http://www.paintingfrance.com/ken_scrapbook.htm Ken has taught at the Art Students League of NY since 1981 and is a part of the New York Street Painters group that has been around almost as long as New York.

First we have the elegant pastels from Daggi Wallace.

The moody (that's a good thing) Boston School inspired paintings of Laura Roberts.

Louis Copt works in oils, acrylics, watercolors and pastels and would you believe that he and I graduated from the same college in Emporia, Kansas?

The big, bold paintings of Texas Ruth (aka Ruth Meaders).

Cath Read captures the essence of the British Coastline and landscape.

Check out the painterly paintings of Colorado artist Evelyn Valdez Martinez.

The watercolors of North Carolina Artist Sally Miller.

I like the unique style of Australian artist Neville Connor, who calls my newsletters "letters from America". That's cool.

Of course, you can't leave without first checking out the colorful, vibrant pastels of San Diego artist Molly Lipsher.

And just for good measure, I'm throwing in the blog of Linda Blondheim.

Here's the beautiful web site of NJ friend Maria Franco

See the underwater world of Kim Rody, who spends half her time in Florida and the other half on her boat in the Bahamas. I hope she can swim.

I have JUST FOUR rooms left for this painting adventure in San Miguel de Allende. There is no teacher - only us painters. There's plenty of great food (I know the good restaurants and the ones to avoid), great models for those of you who want them. This package is about $1000 less than my instructed Tours! http://www.paintingfrance.com/san_miguel.htm

As usual, dear Karla sends me the most interesting links to YouTube stuff. If you like Van Gogh you'll like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5tKG39G6Qk. Maybe Picasso's more your cup of tea? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjoWCdzhuFI

The good folks at the Southern California Plein Air Painters Association told me about a place that will host your web site and provide you with the tools to develop and maintain it. You can see for yourself at http://www.enfaonline.net/default.htm

Well, I received a couple of responses regarding the issue (my rant) about the disconnect between the artist and his/her work. One was from Michael and the other Pam but they were too long to put in my skinny newsletter. Nevertheless, I read them thoroughly and enjoyed them immensely. Thanks to you two.

Alice reminded me that there's a place out there where you can get a web site developed for yourself reasonably - reasonably priced that is. It's http://www.fineartstudioonline.com/

Here's a topic that NEEDS discussion. I just got an email from someone who has taken painting workshops and I'll let her tell you what the issue was: "I just spent $2000 for a 5 day workshop...with a great artist and teacher....only to have him spend a third of his time with his groupies. In the 5 minutes he spent with me today he made no comment about what I'd painted...other than to say I should paint brighter, with more color and use more paint. This was all good advice, but how I should use it to apply to my work, I'm not sure.....So the question of the day, is how can you find out in advance if the workshop you're planning to attend is taught by someone who divides his or her time fairly".

Here are my feelings: This is pretty common and brings up some other related points. I prefer if the teachers who work for me do not do demos ( but I don't insist on that). Why? Well, in an outdoor painting workshop, guess who gets the best light while painting? Of course - the teacher who's doing the demo. By the time the demo is over the best light is gone and you, the paying student, is stuck with whatever is left!

Last week I had an experience that challenged my thinking and opened me up to the benefit of demos: I was watching Ken McIndoe do a 30 minute demo in Greenwich Village and the switch went on inside of me. He attacked the canvas with thick paint and was not trying to do anything particularly pretty - just gutsy and real. For me, seeing him do this gave 'legitimacy' in my own mind, to the painting I like to do. So I immediately took two paintings I had finished in the studio from photos and worked on them back in the streets - attacking the canvas. I loved it! Now, if our teachers would limit themselves to 30 minute demos, I would be much happier. It's probably more important for them to show students how to start paintings than it is to complete the whole picture for them.

I know many of you LOVE to see those demos, so I'm sure plenty of you won't agree with me on this. Fine - let me know.

How can you find out in advance if the teacher you're signing up with will meet your needs or at least be fair in dividing his/her time among everyone? Three things come to mind: first, it's the workshop organizer who needs to be sensitive to what's going on. second, it's the student's responsibility to express, in a sensitive way, to the organizer or teacher when it's happening, not AFTER the workshop is over. I know that people don't like to do this for fear of sounding like a a 'squeaky wheel'. For many students, some of these top painter/teachers can walk on water, so who's going to feel comfortable about confronting someone who is so 'lofty?' Well, this lofty person needs to know how the paying student feels. And last- not everyone will be ecstatic when the workshop is over, no matter how badly we want to see that happen.

So my advice? Tell me while the workshop is going if your needs are not being met, not after it's over. It's too late to change things then. I may like the teacher, and even be a friend of theirs, but YOU'RE the one paying for this so that makes YOU the most important person here!

I became aware of something else during this NYC workshop. Something that ALL of us have to deal with. The frustration that can come with the painting process can be very intense at times. We can even become our worst critics when things aren't working out on the canvas the way we would like them to. But painting is not always an ego driven activity. As much as we like to believe that we're in total control of the outcomes, the real changes and progress in our painting come from a place deeper than the ego (but not always!). Those changes, subtle or great, happen not when we expect them but when they're ready to appear. Do you know the saying: "when the student is ready the teacher appears?" Same thing applies to the painting process.

How can I end a newsletter without talking about wine - French wine? Here's the latest; UK researchers discovered chemicals called procyanidins were responsible for red wine's well-documented heart-protecting effect, and they found traditionally made wines from primarily the southwestern regions of France had more procyanidins than wines in other parts of the world.

I'm considering bringing a group next year to Istanbul. Good contacts there. Who's interested?