Friday, October 16, 2009  Recent Demos and Studies  I recently
finished teaching 2 more pastel classes at work. I teach an 8
session course to about 20 students at a time, so for a month I
had 40 students total to incite, badger, and cajole into
experiencing the challenges and rewards of studying natural
light. I enjoy it very much and, as a teacher, I learn new
things each time, about light and teaching. The first 2 class
sessions were held indoors with some lectures, exercises and
demos. After that we headed outside, where natural light and
circumstances prevail. The outdoor sessions were generally held
in the Berkeley Hills above Emeryville and Oakland, with the
goal of painting the same locales in the morning hours and the
late afternoon, to observe the dynamic shifts of color, value,
and light. Part of my regimen in the class was to set up at a
given locale and start a piece, so students could watch me work,
or elect to start their own if they desired. I always had a few
folks peering over my shoulder wh