Traveling Workshops and Classes on hold
I have been talking to many of the workshop venues I teach at and told them that I will be taking a sabbatical next year and will be working hard on
learning and creating my own art work.
I have taught now for over 42 years, I started right out of art school and it was what I wanted as my career. I also became a storyboard illustrator creating storyboards for TV commercials. As I taught classes and created illustrations it taught me everything about creating art. Since 1983 I have been teaching and
working as an illustrator and all those years I had always painted for others. I created other peoples ideas, like Art Directors, Clients, Reps and demonstrating for my Students with lessons for them to learn. This way was a great way to learn all about creating works of art, but those works were always created for someone else. This is why next year I will try to create a painting a day for me and try to create a body of work that I can call my own. I will try to come up with a collection of
work that represents a style that I can say I like and hopefully be something that when you look at it, you will say, "Hey, look at that Becker Painting, I can recognize his work anywhere." I have heard many of you say that about my work already, but unfortunately I don't see it in my work yet. Hopefully by the end of next year I hope to see my style being developed in watercolor and gouache, with a new twist that doesn't scream watercolor or gouache. I'm not sure yet what that will
be but that's why I'm taking off a year to work on it.
I will still be doing my YouTube lessons and going to Plein-air events, and when asked by certain watercolor societies to judge and do a workshop I will probably agree to them too. However I will be cutting way back on my traveling workshops. I also have to cancel my Libertyville class but will keep teaching my YouTube Paint-a-longs of that Thursday class so you can still learn and paint-a-long. My
weekly Saturday and Wednesday classes will be the only live classes I will keep in operation.
This has been a hard decision to act on since I have been working this way most of my life, I believe this will be good for everyone when I get back the following year to teach you all about my year of growing as an artist and teacher.
Thank you for understanding and don't forget I still will be teaching my
lessons for free on YouTube, so subscribe for free if you haven't already done so, HERE
