Goodbye Barbara,

It is with great sadness that I submit this entry. Saturday May 2nd, my Academy instructor, and mentor of five years, was tragically killed in a car accident that sadly took the life of her husband a few days later.
It was an honor to be in Barbara Bradley's classes. I took every one that she offered, some more than once. Her dedication to her students, and her love of teaching was only matched by her ability to capture the spark and rhythm of life; with a simple twist of her wrist holding a stick of compressed charcoal to a simple pad of newsprint. I always made every effort to stick around and swipe the handful of drawings that were left on the her pad. Whenever I felt especially on my game, I pulled out those drawings and well - tried harder. Often times when we were out in the city sketching, she would make the rounds, and sit beside me and watch me draw. Knowing that she was watching every stroke, and every choice I made, was nerve-wracking, but her suggestions to me were always truthful, never candy coated, and always graceful.
I take her words with me every time I am confronted with a white sheet of paper or a blank canvas.