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 and I guarantee it will be in the next newsletter.

But before I let you look at these sites (as if I could stop you anyway) I want you to think about coming to Buenos Aires with me. I'm talking about the Ann Templeton workshop and want you to see a 40 second video of our hotel in the charming Recoleta neighborhood. Remember, only ONE space left.

I might be a little top heavy with local (NYC) artists this month. Seems like there was a lull in the action from out west - c'mon folks!

The first site is that of Brooklyn artist Jessica Lispski and you can see some of the influence of Mexican artists in her work.

Paris born, Colorado raised NY artist Daisy de Puthod has some really nice paintings of the Hudson Valley.

Here are the figures and landscapes of California artist Diane Olivier. She's also a francophile - and that's a good thing.

Just when I thought this was to be about NY artists I have the colorful abstracted works of Norwegian artist Jan Erik Willgohs.

Two for the price of one: Michael Cammer and Diane Cox. Love their web site.

I need an artist from Alabama just to balance out the NYC artists. How about the figures, landscapes and still life paintings of my friend and painter Amy Echols?

Now for the NYC artists. These are folks that have been in my class at the Art Students League. Christine Parker and her always exciting work; Catriona Herd - Scottish artist living and exhibiting here in NYC and in Scotland; Kathleen Gefell's street scenes, figures, interiors and still lifes. Last but not least good friend (even though she left our class for another) Linda Connelly.

I'm not sure if I sent this video to you before. I think I sent one similar but not this one. What a great video - witness the changing face and universal feminine in art. I thank Cello from the Art Study in Giverny for sharing this with me. She also tells me about the big changes in Giverny: "Have you heard about the two big changes in Giverny? Monet's Gardens are now open to the public on Mondays, so they're no longer available to us painters during the day, just early morning and the afternoon/evening. Also, the American Museum has been turned over to the d'Orsay, and is planned to reopen in May with an exhibition of paintings by Claude Monet". If you've never been to Giverny and are planning a trip to Paris, make sure that you take the train/bus ride (1 hour) and not just for Monet's Gardens but for the American Museum and the Ancien Hotel Baudy.

As great as Giverny is my favorite is still Auvers-sur-Oise, the town where Van Gogh spent the last couple of months of his life. You will feel that the town hasn't changed at all in the last 100 years!

I just got back into painting this week after a 2 1/2 month hiatus. Doing night scenes of NYC and they are very motivating. But one thing occurred to me about the down side of studying with a teacher. We all can agree on the upside, but there is another side to it. When a teacher comes to your canvas while you're painting and expresses an opinion about what you're doing - it's so important to remember that they're telling you what THEY would be doing. They're looking at it through THEIR eyes, not yours. Being too seduced by their bravura and execution can only delay your process of finding your own voice, and trusting in what comes off the end of your brush. Now I know that a good teacher can prove vital to our development as painters. I'm not disputing that. As usual you're free to disagree with me.

I sent that survey out last month asking about your experiences after a show. Did you take time off? What's the longest you've been away from painting? There were lots of responses. Here are just some of the answers I received:

"Took a short break when I was informed that I had cancer, but then decided that since I didn't know how long I had to live, I had better turn out some really good paintings. I am now cancer free".

"Burn out. Four years of pressure from Galleries and shows. 4 months off"

"Grief. My favorite cat(really, he thought he was a dog) was mauled by something, probably a coyote, and I had to have him put down. I am still sad almost 2 months later, but I finally did paint a little recently. It's odd; sometimes grief and loss just makes me want to paint, as I express myself that way, but this time it was different. Who knows why? 2 months off".

"Death of a close friend. About 45 days".

"I live in an apartment in Manhattan and can't afford a second rent. I used to live in Rome, Italy and had a separate studio where I could leave works in progress (and the mess and fumes etc.) I also had a gallery that promoted my work, so that helped me not feel that I was working in a vacuum. Now I don't even have a website. Too long away, and that's the truth".

"Meditation retreat - 6 months away from painting".

And finally, to paraphrase one artist: "the muse is not amused for a time, but the muse does return with refreshing new ideas and much more freedom when you come back to a white canvas".

I will finish up with some artist quotes:

This one from Leonardo (no, not DiCaprio): " Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his master".

Mary Boone (gallery owner and art collector): "There are not only more people collecting, there are more people collecting for the wrong reasons, basically as the latest get rich quick scheme. They buy art like lottery tickets".

Salvador Dali said: "At the age of six I wanted to be a cook. At seven I wanted to be Napoleon. And my ambition has been growing steadily ever since".

Oh yeah.. I forgot: HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Phil Levine Workshops, Inc.
69 bank Street #102. NY, NY 10014
phone: 212-414-8875 fax: 866-501-6873
e-mail: philiplevine@earthlink.net