Getting Ready to Teach on a Cruise Ship

Colon, Panama

Some of you may not know this about me, but every year I teach painting on a cruise ship.  It's a great way to see the world and have fun teaching at the same time.  I love it!

This spring, I will be teaching on a Celebrity Cruise line.  The trip goes through the Panama Canal.  We start off in San Diego, go to two places in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama , Columbia, and end up in Ft. Lauderdale.

I am required to teach an hour each day that we are at sea, but I'm free when we are in port.  It takes a lot of preparation because I have to plan out each lesson.  I like to do an example of what everyone will be painting.  I also write up the directions in case they forget after I demonstrate how to paint the different parts of the painting.  It takes hours of preparation so that once we are on the ship, things go smoothly.

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Most of the people who take the class on the ship have never painted before.  So I have to teach very basic things.  Also, only having an hour a day, it's hard to finish a painting with so little time.  I actually wish they would let me teach for 2 hours.  It would be less stressful.
But the people seem to love it and they come back each day and bring a friend.  By the end of the week, the class is packed!

Here are two examples of what I will be teaching.  I always try to pick out a scene from where we are going so that they have a souvenir of their trip.

I also can't wait to experience some hot weather.  I have almost forgotten what that feels like.
Can't wait!