BeckerArt FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter March 24th, Online Class

Published: Tue, 03/24/20

Hello

Welcome to the FLOAT-YOUR-PIGMENT Newsletter #252, Online Class

Hello to all you artists-in-residence... that's what we all are now that we have to stay in our studios and create. Not the worst thing in the world when an artist is told to stay inside and stay away from everyone and paint, that seems what many artists love to do anyways when it comes to creating artwork. The only problem with what is happening right now is that artists like myself that make a living through social workshops/classes, demos, and paint parties are now out of work like everyone else and now have all the time in the world to paint. That wouldn't be so bad if only people needed to buy paintings like they need to buy toilet paper. For the next 3 months, almost all the work I do for a living has stopped or has been canceled until the end of July I am looking into possibly teaching on-line through www.Zoom.us. This way I hope I can keep on working to teach my students.

One way to help teaching artists like myself is, if you buy a lot of things online at Amazon, it's good to first start at that artist's website if they have an Amazon affiliation link on their website like this link or if you go to my website you can find an Amazon search bar and start there first when shopping on Amazon, Teachers like myself will get a small percentage of whatever you purchase, it not much but every little bit helps... thank you in advance if you choose to shop Amazon and first use a link like this to get there.

A lot of my friends and students are posting their paintings on social media which is so great... please keep on posting your new works, it's wonderful to see!

NO CLASSES at the Civic Center in Libertyville until further notice.

NO CLASSES at the BeckerArt Gallery until further notice.

Online Class

The subject this week for the newsletter is online classes and is something I've been asked to do for years now but I never thought an online class could be as good as a class where I am right by your side and can watch you as you paint. Now that we teachers don't have a choice I have decided to give online classes a look and see what is now available for teacher and artist students.

I never really wanted to do a class online where I give you an assignment and then you do it and we send emails back and forth and I critique each step you take and guide you through the painting through text. I think teaching art is much more visual and verbal along with teaching someone with a quick example instead of having a student read what the problem of correction should be. It is easier for a student to see it visually done instead of reading what the answer to the problem is. I went looking for a classroom platform on the internet and found that the program/website that best does this is www.Zoom.us. Since last week many of the public schools have been starting to use this platform for teaching.

With Zoom you are teaching live on a video and audio feed to all the students who are all at their own locations.
The only problem is that all the students will need a camera, a microphone and a display/monitor. those 3 things can be found on a laptop or iPad or smartphone, but the students need those things to partake in the online class. They also will need WIFI to get to the website where the classroom will be set at.

There are many different ways that teachers are teaching online classes but I feel if I am going to do online classes I want them to feel a lot like a normal class where I am demonstrating and then the students paints right after I demonstrate each step. and I would like everyone at the same time to be able to hear what I say and if questions are asked all students in the class can hear it. Zoom seems like all that is possible.

The biggest problem I foresee is that the students not having the right equipment or not knowing how to set up their equipment to partake in an online class. I will have to ask other instructors how they handle all the problems I see that can possibly arise.

It will take me a little time to set this up but once I do I will notify all my students that have the equipment and want to take an online class from yours truly.

Thanks

David

WORKSHOPS and DEMOS of 2020

WORKSHOP Lake Superior Watercolor Guild, W/C, Duluth, MN, CANCELED will be Rescheduled

DEMONSTRATION_DILLMAN'S FEST at my Gallery in McHenry, IL. May 3rd CANCELED

WORKSHOP Dillman's, Lac Du Flambeau, W/C, Wisconsin, June 29th to July 2nd INFO HERE

WORKSHOP Vermont Art Event, W/C& Acrylic, Burlington, Vermont, July 27th to July 31st CANCELED

WORKSHOP Thousand Island Art Center, W/C, Thousand Island, NY, August 4th to August 6th INFO HERE

WORKSHOP Goshen Painters Guild, W/C, Indiana, August 13th to August 15th INFO HERE

WORKSHOP Dillman's, Lac Du Flambeau, W/C, Wisconsin, Aug. 31st to Sept. 3rd INFO HERE

WORKSHOP Artisan Expo, W/C & Acrylics, Santa Fe, MN. Sept. 24th to Sept. 26th INFO HERE

WORKSHOP Sangamon Watercolor Society, W/C, Springfield, IL. Oct. 9th to Oct. 12th INFO HERE

Product of the Week
Pencil Sharpener

I was given one of these pencil sharpeners a couple of weeks ago and I have to say this sharpener did an amazing job at sharpening a pencil I was using on a job I was doing. Love how you can adjust it to 5 different angles.
Buy it here

Artist of the Week

Tony Couch

Met Tony once in Maine while at a workshop with Robert Wade. Tony stopped by to see Robert and I was introduced to him them.
Love Tony's painting style.

You can get one of his book by clicking book below.

BeckerArt Brushes

Click Here to Purchase BeckerArt Brushes

Shop Amazon by clicking the logo below to help me fund this newsletter... Thank You!

For any other info please email me at david@davidrbecker.com