Well, here I am. In a few weeks I'll turn 59, but I sure don't feel like it. And because of life's twists and turns I'm able to spend every day making art. My studio is stocked with pastelbord and canvases, colored pencils, acrylics, and mediums. I just got this great iMac, I have a printer that will print up to 13x19, a new scanner, and my Wacom tablet just arrived. What's missing here is guidance. I need and want help! I've taken classes here and there and I've gotten new ideas and information at each one. But I want serious instruction. I want to learn how to wield a mean paintbrush. I want critiques of my work. I want someone to push me farther than I have the courage to go alone. 

Every time I get an art magazine I look at the ads for schools in Italy, France, New Mexico, and other far away places. The closest one to me is in Philadelphia, which is a long drive for me, but doable. But...besides all the things I do have, I don't have a lot of money. And this is not how I envisioned my life. So I am envious of the women who I  hear about and sometimes know, who do have the financial ability to go to these places, especially the trips to Europe. But then again, I crave the serious art education, not a vacation. If I scrimp and save for awhile I should be able to afford a program that lasts a month, unfortunately not a year or longer. 

So what I'm getting at is.......have any of you gone to one of these programs? Was it worth it? Did you learn a lot, or just have fun? What programs can you recommend?