If you have been following my activities in the last few weeks you'll know I've been creating free online painting videos on YouTube to inspire people during lockdown. Of course knowing that my workshops and sessions are cancelled for the rest of the year, turning to online teaching is the best way I can see myself working through these difficult times.
I came up with the brand 'Discover with Debs' and have created the logo ready to go. The mission is to enable people learn the magic of painting in acrylic with me, so that they can reap the benefits of not only learning, but also the holistic benefits of being creative.
After releasing twelve free videos on YouTube all focused on colour theory, I am ready to create content that will be available to purchase. Today I have been working on the structure of my paid online courses. I will be launching them on the learning platform Udemy, where I already have lifetime students on two other courses in watercolour that I published quite a few years ago now. Overall I have over 7000 lifetime members enrolled. What that means is that any course created on Udemy is available for life to the student. This is fabulous news because many people find that doing a course can take them quite a while if they are working, travelling or caring for family.
So I am excited to announce that the first course will be,
'The Magic of Painting Landscapes in Acrylic'.
I have been working on the structure of the course today, and will start filming the content next week. I will be covering all aspects of painting successfully, from tools to techniques. My overall aim is that the final outcome will be something the student can be proud to display and share in the first instance, and then have the knowledge and ability to go on to create more paintings with confidence.
I will tell you more about the details of the course in the near future.
In other news, sadly the Secret Art Fair at the Minories in Colchester this year has been cancelled. It was initially moved to December from May this year due to the pandemic. But now the venue will be closing for the foreseeable future. It is a real shame and my exhibition diary for 2020 is now officially empty. I know I am not the only artist to be faced with this, and I am also acutely aware that galleries are struggling too with uncertainty.
I did take part in the online NHS Appeal exhibition organised by Blue Tree Gallery in York. That has now finished. I have yet to find out how much they raised.
Perhaps we will be looking at more online exhibitions happening this year, even when such places are allowed to open. I am sure with the right minds behind them they will be a fantastic events to take part in, and easy for the visitors to access online. We watch and wait.
But the main thing is to keep safe, hang in there and keep creative. That's my motto ♥
Best wishes to you all.
Back with more news soon.
Debs xx