Oils and Pastels by Margaret Dyer

On a freezing day this past December I met Kia and her two little boys in a laundromat, where they were taking shelter from the cold. Long story short, I made a place for them in the unfinished room above my studio. It has gas heat and a refrigerator. There is no plumbing so they had to come into my house to use the bathroom and laundry. I gave Kia the key to my home. Our objective was ambitious: to get Royalty, her 5 year old, into school, get Eden, her 1 year old, into daycare, get food stamps, get Kia a job and an apartment, and eventually get her a used vehicle so she wouldn't have to rely on the buses and train system here in Atlanta, while pushing a stroller and having a 5 year old tag along behind her. I started a Go-Fund-Me page and the response was overwhelming: $4300 in only days, mostly from you generous people who read my blog. I helped Kia open a checking account with Wells Fargo, into which all the Go-Fund-Me donations were directly deposited. She now has a debit ...

THE IMPRESSIONISTIC FIGURE in Florence, Italy Saturday - Friday, May 25-31, 2019   Painting in oils or pastels from live models and photos.   In this one week studio workshop we will work from a live model and from our own photos from photo shoots with the model. You don't have to be an accomplished painter or pastelist; I will help you with the basics if you need that.   We'll have plenty of time for exploring, tasting and sipping in this magnificent Renaissance city that holds nearly a third of the world's art treasures. We’ll stroll the same cobblestone streets that Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli strolled. We'll be staying in apartments in the Oltrarno section of Florence, minutes from the major landmarks but removed from the hustle and bustle of the crowded tourist section. You'll experience Florence like a native in an area known for its artisan shops and boutiques. On Day 5, we will retreat to the hill town...