November 1, 2022

This is our Year in Review for 2022

by Ginger Cook

In keeping with tradition...... 

Jon and I wish everyone a merry Christmas and a fantastic start to the New Year.

This year, we introduced the YouTube Gazette. This weekly feature includes updates on our travels, art tips, and features on Academy artists' work. We have consistently produced a new edition every week since starting in June, totaling 29 editions so far. The YouTube Gazette also includes weekly YouTube and Academy lessons to keep our artist friends up to date.

This year has been an incredible journey!

We recorded and released over 50 unique YouTube lessons. We also created 55 Academy member tutorials ranging from one hour to a multi-day recording that took over 9 hours to edit. Additionally, we added ten Wave & Water tutorials and three marathon YouTube videos totaling over 24 paintings.

We also had the privilege of getting married in Georgia. Our moderator and friend, Reverend Liz Clark, officiated the ceremony. Her husband Bob played guitar and helped with the set up and recording. He was also our chauffeur. It was a joy to have them as a part of this special occasion.

If you missed this memorable ceremony, luck would have it that it was recorded and available here for your viewing pleasure! If you missed it or want to feel all warm and fuzzy again, here is the link https://youtu.be/hWbK9WG9S-A

This year, we had the opportunity to teach a workshop with my daughter, the Art Sherpa Cinnamon Cooney, in the Poconos in Pennsylvania. We spent a week there in May and also had a chance to spend some time with the grandkids exploring the area.

We also took advantage of some fantastic Covid deals and went on 105 days of free cruising. I am presently working on a book about how to cruise for free or almost free, which I hope to release in 2023.

In addition to all of our other activities this year, we also had the opportunity to fly to Italy and board a ship for a 10-day cruise to Greece, Turkey, and Italy. We had an excursion almost every day, including a memorable one in Santorini where Jon had to help me avoid falling off a cliff. In addition, we had to walk down over 600 steep (over a mile) and slippery steps covered in donkey poop in the heat, over 90 degrees, while being confronted by donkeys. Fortunately, we made it back to the ship just in time, thanks partly to some fellow travelers who offered me water and helped me avoid heat stroke.

After our cruise in Greece, we flew to Barcelona. We spent two weeks exploring the Mediterranean coast of Spain, France, and Italy. For the last week of that trip, we were joined by one of our Academy members from Canada, Jannie Honch, and her friend Linda. We shared the experience of visiting these magical places and took many memories and photos for future tutorials. Jon had some fantastic camera equipment with him and was seen all around, taking pictures of the scenes that inspired our paintings. 

After our trip, we sailed back to the United States on a new Virgin Ship, the Scarlet Lady, with Janni, Linda, Jon, and me. In the evenings, we played Exploding Kittens, ate great food, and enjoyed the camaraderie that comes from a shared love of life and adventure. Finally, we took a two-day pause to get married in Georgia before returning home. We spent the next two weeks with Cinnamon, John, and the three grandchildren who were temporarily staying with us. They were waiting for their Irish visas to be approved.

Our final trip of the year was a 48-day back-to-back cruise on the Carnival ship Splendor in Australia. This trip was part of the package of cruise deals I mentioned earlier. It was less expensive to be on the ship for 48 days than to stay home and buy groceries (see my new book coming out soon for more details).

During our Australian honeymoon cruise, we spent 10 days in New Zealand. While there, we took a private tour of the locations where the Lord of the Rings movies were filmed. We also had the opportunity to walk through the park where Gandalf lived in the movie and eat at the restaurant the cast frequented during filming. On another day, we took a 4-hour train ride into the country wilderness area, which was breathtakingly beautiful. In addition to enjoying our last cruise of the year, I have also painted 20+ paintings that will be reworked for future tutorials. These paintings focus on incorporating people, from portraits to landscapes, in our new tutorials for Purple members. At the time of writing, I have two more weeks before we head home on January 10, so who knows what more I will create.

Our Facebook club is now in its 4th year, and we have had the same moderators since the beginning. We want to thank Stephie Jane, Liz, Judy, Liz2, Mona, Lou Ann, and Becky for their kind and steadfast support. We also have Lyne from Canada, who tunes in weekly on YouTube. We are incredibly thankful for these fantastic ladies. Their positive influence has enriched our lives and the lives of many in the Facebook club and on YouTube. This year, we finally reached over 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.

I provided daily Personal Art Coaching to our Red, Blue, and Purple members who were participating in the Academy or watching our YouTube shows. I conducted over 1200 Personal Coaching sessions this past year. On the other hand, Jon answered over 6,000 emails on our website this year. He stayed up until 3am every day, whether we were on a cruise or at home. Our dedicated Stuffy Staff and Liz Carson were instrumental in helping us keep up with the demands of our business.

We have traveled an estimated 100,000 miles worldwide and still have a strong desire for adventure. After two years of lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and seeing the world change, we have realized that it is crucial to make the most of our senior years while we are still in good health. We want to seek out new experiences and make memories with each other and treasure the moments. Our Acrylic Art Academy and YouTube show have become more than just a place to teach people how to paint. We have built a global community of viewers who have come to know us and have formed a bond with us through their shared love of creativity.

As a professional artist and instructor with 50 years of experience, I have a wealth of knowledge to share with others.

Jon, who has worked as a computer programmer and is also a professional photographer, helps keep us organized and focused on our ultimate goal of teaching acrylic painting globally.

In addition, his skills as a "sock folder" ensure that we stay on track and never lose sight of our dreams and goals. Together, we aim to share the knowledge and skills we have gained over the years with a global audience.

This is our year in review. What is in store for 2023? Visit our website for a look at the future...coming soon! And Purple Members, your special website will be available very soon!

If you have any questions, please reach out to us through our Contact Us form and we'll be happy to help.

Are you facing challenges with your artwork? Are you looking for personalized help and advice? You can find help a lot faster with Personal Art Coaching, so this is something that you will want to keep in mind as you navigate your way through the jungle of art. We are also working on a new product that might be of interest to you in the future. 

Please use Contact Us on the new site if you have any questions or if we can help you with the new site.



Thank you, and remember, we are here to help you succeed! Please use the Contact Us form for any questions. Do NOT use Facebook, Messenger, or any other form of communication.

Ginger, Jon, and the Stuffy Staff