Ben Adler

For twenty years I designed packaging and print ads at an agency in Parsippany. When the agency closed in 2019, I went back to the thing I loved before any of that, which was painting outside with a cheap travel set. These days I teach watercolor at kitchen tables all over Maplewood and the Oranges.

My lessons start small on purpose. We paint one pear, one tulip, one stretch of sky over Memorial Park. I show you how to let the water do the work instead of fighting it, and I keep a stack of practice postcards so nobody feels pressure to make a masterpiece. Larger brush handles and a tilted board help a lot if your hands get stiff.

I also do therapy dog visits with Biscuit, a nine year old golden who is calmer than I am. If you would like, he can come along and lie under the table while we paint. Most people end up sketching him at least once.