The Night Heron Artist Exhibition is now open. The exhibition, which is located on the second floor of the Port Jefferson Gallery, is open to the public with beautiful Christmas decorations. I am delighted to present three of my paintings in this exhibition.

​Muriel Silberstein-Storfer was a writer, artist, educator, and pioneering advocate for quality children’s art education, named an Advance Woman of Achievement in 1967. She was also a board member of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, created parent-child workshops for the museum, and established a respected student art program throughout the city.

I read her legendary art education book, Doing Art Together, in graduate school on the recommendation of Professor Nina, and I highly recommend that as many art educators as possible read it.

Mrs. Silberstein-Storfer, who lived in New Brighton and Grymes Hill from 1952 to 1975, organized a parent-child workshop for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1972. This class became a family tradition for many, as they brought their own children to the workshops as they grew up. In partnership with the city’s Board of Education and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, her Doing Art Together program offered “hands-on” art courses to schools and social service agencies, including Head Start programs, hospitals, and rehabilitation centers.

Her organization became a valuable asset in the educational field when her detailed program manual, a book of the same name, was published in 1982. It was reissued twice in the late 1990s.

​Dr. Silverstein-Stoffer has long argued that art making, guided as if speaking to a newborn, is a powerful stimulant for creative thinking, problem-solving, and self-confidence. “If we can pass down the tradition of making art together from generation to generation, we can build a community that transcends our individual lives,” Ms. Silverstein-Stoffer wrote in the preface to the 1997 edition of the book.

​When I was introduced to this book by Professor Nina, she told me that she was her best friend and that she was someone she always missed. I would like to thank Professor Nina again for recommending this book to me, because this book is a big part of my teaching philosophy.

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The Oriental painting book I received from Night Heron artist helps me study various Oriental painting techniques. It was especially a good guide for students to learn about nature based on Oriental philosophy and techniques. I drew a New Year's message and a picture on a small rolling paper as a token of my gratitude.

I have studied oriental painting. And the teacher who actually taught me recommended that I major in oriental painting because I was talented at it when I was young. I didn’t really know why at the time. But as time passed, I think I now know why. The charm of oriental painting and watercolor painting have a lot in common. The reason I like watercolor painting is also very similar. You can’t retouch oriental painting many times. You have to think about how it will look before you paint it and paint it all at once if possible. It’s the complete opposite of oil painting, which can be retouched and repainted over a long period of time.

Because you can’t fix it, you have to be careful and accept mistakes. And you have to practice a lot before painting to pursue perfection. That’s why I feel that my concentration is greatly enhanced when I paint or watercolor painting. It’s not always easy to gather energy and paint it all at once.

But I like this kind of challenge and adventure. Because oriental painting or watercolor painting is so similar to our lives. And as I draw, I think about how to face life more calmly and draw calmly amidst the countless coincidences I encounter.

As I draw, I sometimes discover the principles of life and reflect on myself. In short, it becomes a huge healing process. And I gradually come to know a world I didn't know about. Because the fun I get from this is so great, I want everyone to experience the deep and truthful world of this painting. In this sense, next year, I plan to explore oriental painting and watercolor painting on the same line.

I am exploring various ways for students to experience drawing snakes, the symbolic animal of 2025, in various forms. By drawing three types of paintings: Western painting, Eastern painting, and sculpture painting, I have created an opportunity to approach the theme of 'snake' from various angles.

Above all, in the case of Chinese painting, we had students draw directly on Chinese roll paper using ink. Students used their various ideas and creativity to draw beautiful pictures. Most students who grew up in the United States do not have many opportunities to come into contact with oriental paintings. Therefore, they have to study various techniques such as how to hold a brush, the principle of ink, how to express a picture using the density of ink, how to use brush marks, and how to control the force. I am glad to have discovered that creating more opportunities to explore both the West and the East is very helpful in stimulating students' imaginations.

And the students had the experience of making snake shapes themselves using aluminum foil and paper towels to study the shape of snakes in a more diverse way. Through this, I was able to find that it was helpful to encourage students to use various mediums so that they could study how to observe and express things on their own.

I was invited by a friend to a fundraising event. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity to create a banner for an outdoor art show. I worked for over 2 hours and created a beautiful banner.

​AR Workshop is a craft room located in Smithtown that helps you with acrylic printing on wood. You can experience various forms of wood crafts such as clocks, wall decorations, and photo holders. It is a useful and educational space where you can spend time with friends and do crafts.