I sat down to write today and I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the last 12 weeks. It has been that long since we had to close our doors on March 14th to respond to the pandemic that was about to sweep through and attack our communities. During this…

Every day, I think about how we could provide a great educational experience AND also allow our students to use their creative capacity to send a message to the world. Right now we are doing something really special that meets this challenge that I want to share with you. The…

2,500 years ago, Heraclitus, the Greek philosopher said, “Change is the only constant in life.” I love this saying and never before in modern America have we been tested to adapt to such radical change so quickly. As humans, we thrive on predictability and safety and when massive change is…

While everything about the COVID-19 world we are living is incomprehensibly challenging, how you use your time and manage your spirit is of the utmost importance. For some, it means throwing their heart and soul into the studio to eat up the hours with creative work. JJ Manford shared the…

I am so proud of the work that my team is doing at One River. We are also extremely grateful for the support of our customers … One River is a small business and we are doing all we can to fight the fight. With your support, our Virtual Studio…

What works in times of crisis? The same things that work best when things are going well …. clarity on how you should spend your time. Let me share some thoughts I hope can help paint a clear picture on how to spend your time and catch yourself when you…

Last week I received a note from one of our older adult students that put everything that we are going through in perspective. Barry Fredericks wrote: “I started my painting career at your art school in Englewood. From your school I have progressed to three solo shows and individual works…

per·spec·tive /pərˈspektiv/ Noun a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view Last week, I met with my team at One River to help them sort through what was happening and hopefully add some calm and “perspective” for how to “view” this rapidly moving crisis. Today,…

So many of my students and people in our community ask me about what they can do to become fluent in “the art of today”. My subscription to New American Paintings has been one of my most important and enjoyable tools. It helps to inform my taste, the art I…

We opened our 13th school this weekend in Port Jefferson Station, New York and it was an overwhelming success! Hundreds of people stopped in, participated in workshops, and helped us take the wrapper off this gorgeous new location. Teens, Adults and Kids of all ages created Manga, Digital Art, Collage,…