OK, let's dive right into the next 10 web sites: If you haven't shared your web site with the rest of us send it to me for the next newsletter.

Before going to the web sites, I wanted to share with you what a wonderful time our painting, eating, drinking, exploring group had in Burgundy. Great places to paint, some of the most wonderful wines in the world, great cuisine, jazz concerts, bike rides and wine tastings through beautiful Bourgogne vineyards! Here's a link to the scrapbook of paintings http://www.paintingfrance.com/vito_scrapbook.htm and a link to a slide show that captured our experiences http://picasaweb.google.com/NancyMdlnMyers/BurgundyFrance2007. To view just slide show click on where it says slide show and then you can choose how long, from 1 - 4 seconds, to view each image.

Check out Colorado artist Scott Mattlin's impeccable figures and landscapes.

Here are the sensitive florals and landscapes of Connecticut artist Hope Reis.

Rodrica Tilley is a watercolor and pastel painter from Pennsylvania (and a dog lover to boot).

Marge Levine (no relation as far as I know) is primarily a pastel artist who lives in New Jersey.

Here are the fresh, spontaneous oils of Wyoming artist Kathryn Mapes Turner.

These are the bold, expressive paintings of Canadian artist Brian Simons. I love "Driftwood Study"...

Here are Virginia artist Richard Whitely's stately landscapes and townscapes.

These are California artist Jennifer Houghton's romantic paintings.

Some Hopper and Diebenkorn influence (in my opinion) of Block Island artist Jerry Powers.

Here are Michigan artist Kathleen Kalinowski's pastel and oil paintings.

Pamela West of the United Kingdom paints in watercolors.

See Colorado artist Judith Babcock's colorful paintings of fruits and check out her 'New Direction' paintings.

I have a workshop to San Miguel de Allende February 3 - 10 with Laura Loe and this one is hot! http://www.paintingfrance.com/lauraloe.htm

There was an art festival in DUMBO this weekend. DUMBO is Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass, the relatively new artists neighborhood in NYC. The highlight? That's easy. It was the elephant who paints pictures. See him here getting ready at the festival http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VPX5jYrKPY , and see some archival footage of him/her painting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oU-uegsu6Js

Regarding the issue of some folks not having their needs met during workshops (discussed in last month's newsletter).... I received quite a few comments. Here's one from Rita: " If you pick a teacher who is a wonderful, famous artist, you'll get a great entertaining demo but may or may not get good instruction. a great teacher has the skill of taking info out of his head, packaging it into digestible bites, stringing it together in continuity, and wedging it into your head. Pick a teacher whose style you like, whether or not he/she is famous, and ask fellow student artists who have taken the workshop about his/her teaching skills".

Ol' Texas Ruth reminds us to be assertive. If the teacher is spending too much time with their 'groupies' and not enough with you, reach out for them. Don't be passive. I mean, even if it means grabbing a teacher and dragging him/her to your easel to talk about your painting, do it! Just make sure you don't drag him/her through cactus or anything like that.

And Marilyn added some good comments: "Some of the other students left a workshop early in frustration because the teacher, a top big name artist, spent more than an hour finishing her own painting while we watched. Of course, we were offered the chance to buy that painting for another large amount of money. I love teaching and watching the light that comes on when a student has broken through some limitation in her own mind."

Gail, who also runs a workshop center doesn't agree with me. She writes: "I have to disagree with your comment about not having the instructors do demos. As artists we are visual beings. We learn much easier by watching than any other method.
As far as 'losing the light'.... if the demo is in the morning, the students still have the afternoon light. Any work done after the demo can still be extremely useful, especially because value, composition and design seem to be a major problem with students. Also, it should not expected that the students do 'masterpieces' to take home".

And good ol' Mary K says: "Your comments on teachers are well stated and true. All teachers should read your news letter". Thanks Mary... you made my day!

This is from Cindy in Tempe, Arizona. I had to edit it down, as it was a bit long. But it is totally right on: "On your topic of workshops you hit a sore point for me. Many, not all, of the workshops I have taken have folks, 'groupies' who really want to dominate the instructors time, and to see a demo, then they buy the painting!"

One of the best instructors I've studied with was Mark Daily. He gets a lot of complaints about being too mean, what ever that means. He took everything I thought I knew about painting, shook it up, making me rethink what I do. Therein is the biggest lesson, he made us think. He did not use the class as a comercial about how great he is, boasting, and selling work. In fact we never saw his work till the last day, and he did not do a demo. He said you learn to paint by painting, not watching him paint. Thanks again for your informative newsletter, I pass the info on to friends all the time."

Cindy, I studied with Mark for 7 years back in Colorado and agree with you. He's a hell of a painter but he never did demos. Nor did he develop 'clones' like some teachers do. He was particularly great at helping people move in the direction they wanted to go, not in the direction he wanted to take them. I benefited immensely from his teaching style of developing independent thinking.

Jean from Colorado says: "Regarding demos: it's the most important part of a workshop for me! I'll catch the good light when I'm off by myself."

From Jane: "How right you are Phil! A few years ago I joined a very expensive workshop on a small Greek island with one of the U.S.'s best- known artists, who proceeded to do a demo a day that lasted a minimum two hours, maximum, three. Often obliged to stand in the boiling sun. Since then, I make sure that no demo of mine ever goes over the half-hour mark. The group concluded that he did this in order to have a painting to sell every day, which he did."

Lastly, here is what Joan says: "I think demos are vital to understanding the thinking and creative processes of the demo-er!
But there's no reason said demo-er can't demo in the middle of the day.....as does Ken Auster. You're in a class because you admire the way the teacher paints...and if you don't see how he/she does it you're left with the limited time that teacher can critique what you've done....which is NOT the same thing!"

I have one final thought on this: As a workshop organizer I start to feel a little queasy when the teacher sets up and proceeds to spend the next two hours demonstrating. I feel that in a subtle way it can intimidate rather than inspire the student. It's hypnotic to see what some people can do with paint and a brush. But does it really help? Perhaps it helps some students more than others. I go back to the idea of just demonstrating how to start a painting - choosing composition, first lay-in, etc. Then let the student try his/her hand at it. When I was taking French classes I learned from trying to speak French in class. I didn't learn by listening to how beautifully the French teacher spoke the language -as seductive and hypnotic as it was.

Maybe we could use some kind of system - perhaps a bulletin board, where comments can be placed about different instructors. Such a mechanism would be important, not ast a 'trash the teacher' site. I would edit stuff so no one would be hurt but information could be still presented in a civil and constructive way.