I spoke with a manager in a Hobby Lobby about an hour away. He seemed very happy when I asked if he was looking for an oil painting instructor. He even started going over the rules and everything right there on the phone. He is going out of town on vacation and my job won't permit me to meet with him until he returns, but I am certainly going to drive down there and meet with him and show him my portfolio. Hopefully I'll get some classes going.

I got an email from Walt Burger today letting me know that all requirements have been met and I have passed the tests. Starting today I am an Alexander Certified Instructor. I checked the Alexander Art website and they have updated it, with me listed as an instructor.

I am very excited to finally be certified, but the real work has only just begun. Now I need to go out and see if I can get some classes lined up. I've got four Hobby Lobby stores in mind and I'm going to hit two of them soon and see if I can sign them up. I've heard it stated that the Alexander Art certification could be used as a means to an end. Now that I sit back and look at what needs to be done... getting classes started, creating new projects, refining teaching skills... it seems more like a means to a new beginning.

I would like to thank John G. Heinrichs for signing up to take the program at the same time as me. We passed a lot of emails back and forth during the last couple of weeks, and even though I finished the certification work quickly, it really was reassuring to see an artist of John's caliber going after the same certification. I know that my decision to become certified with Alexander Art was not a mistake.

All requirements are now complete and they have all been submitted to Walt. I'm just waiting to hear back from him on whether or not everything is acceptable.

I held a class last night. The pictures have all been submitted. I just have a few more questions to answer on the tests. Just a matter of typing them up and emailing them to the certification director. Should be finished with it all today.

I'll be fulfilling my final requirement for certification in a few hours. I'll be teaching my Wife's Grandmother. I'll post a picture when I'm all done.

The updates for the certification manual and the tests arrived today. I will try to knock out the tests tonight.

Last night, I finished the instructor notes for my next class. Unfortuanately I have to work tomorrow (Saturday). The only free time I will get is on Sunday, and then Monday I leave to go out of town for a week for work. I'm hoping to arrange a class for Sunday but it may be hard to pull off. I may not be able to complete all my requirements until next weekend.

Finally

My certification kit has arrived. I'm as happy as a pig in a puddle. And what makes me happier is the fact that Walt Burger has accepted my recent photo submission. I've knocked a nice portion of the requirements out.

Did a painting with my wife tonight. This knocks out 2 of the requirements. The painting I used to teach her with will be one of the 2 require paintings, and her class tonight meets 1 of the 2 teaching requirements. Not bad for her first oil painting.

Walt emailed the course requirements to me. Looks like I'll need to:

Study and complete the open book exams in the certification manual.

Watch, study and practice the techniques outlined in Bill Alexander's and Robert Warren's painting videos.

Do two paintings and submit them for review.

Develop two practice teaching classes along with instructors notes and supply lists for each class.

Teach two practice classes and submit photos of the students during the class and photos of their completed paintings. I have already made plans on this. I have two students lined up and as soon as I have the notes and supply lists for two projects done, I will hold a class with each one of them.

I can not wait to get to work on this.

Achy breaky paint

I posted a video on youtube for a couple of people that have requested help. This video deals only with making paint break when doing mountains. Check it out.

Walt Burger, the certification director, gave me a call today. He had been out of town for a while partly due to the Alexander Art Silver Falls conference.

I should be receiving some information via email from him detailing the course and the requirements. He mentioned that because I have some previous painting experience that certain elements of the course wouldn't be necessary for me. So that's good news. I'll be able to complete the course a little quicker.