Valerie:
Thanks very much for your post. Welcome to the forum, BTW.
I had the opportunity to spend three weeks with William Whitaker (
www.williamwhitaker.com) this past September. Without a doubt, it was a life changing experience that changed the whole way I paint. I have also been trying to draw from life as much as I can so yea, I think I have taken some strides over the past months.
But WOW do I have a long way to go yet...