RECENT POSTS
October is upon us and it is the time of the year when I believe we really start to put our heads down to make things happen and focus on our goals. If you are at all like me, your to do list is crazy long and filled with potential frustration. And, in a world…
Special things are undeniable. Whether it is visual art or music, the best work jumps out at you and sticks with you. That’s how I felt about The Cars when I heard their music for the first time. So sad to hear of Ric Ocasek’s passing and I want to share some Monday Thoughts about…
When I set out to learn all I could about contemporary art, I decided that I needed to get to know as many working artists as possible and study not just the work that they made, but also take a closer look into how they approached their lives. I was interested in developing connoisseurship for…
As we move from summer into fall, there are so many things that we all are dealing with today. The world is complicated and noisy…quite often when I talk with people these days, they are overwhelmed and fearful. My natural orientation is to guide people to look through another lens and focus on what they…
I often walk through our schools and get stopped in my tracks by an artwork on the wall or in a studio that demonstrates profound skill and creative expression. Last week it happened during my visit to Millburn, NJ. The image that you see above is from our Teen Manga class and this artwork is…
In a world where our senses are bombarded and overwhelmed to the point of submission, I have found that looking at art provides a profound meditative experience that more people need to experience. But, in a world of intense noise, on demand video, sound and social engagement, a painting has a hard time competing with…
This morning we kicked off another week of summer camps across our twelve locations and I rushed into our school in Englewood, NJ to deal with a minor crisis. My friend texted me to tell me he was in the hospital and his son was starting his first camp today with the typical trepidation that…
Angel Otero refers to his paintings as oil paint skins. With a better understanding of his process, one soon realizes he employs an array of procedures resembling that of printmaking, sculpture, tapestry weaving, collage, and other artistic methods. The works of art encompass more than the standard of traditional painting. In a walk-through conversation with…
Last week there was a story that said the best collectible category for return on investment was what? Rare Whisky! Wow, who would have thought that? Over the last few years we have seen a tremendous boost in Baby Boomers / Gen X’s buying wine, watches, cars and many other things. Years ago, people used…
I saw this digital artwork in one of our schools last week and it just inspired me. My curiosity for art and design education led me to open One River seven years ago and I am convinced that there has never been in a time in our history where creative thinking has translated into a…