Odyssey of Art: Watercolorist/Art Educator Linda Perlmutter

Art often lives at the intersection of education and entertainment.

Some clever person has already coined the phase "edutainment"; that person no doubt wanted to sell a boatload of unnecessary toys to unassuming parents. Yet, the exploration of art education; hands maneuvering paints, clay, papers, metal, glass or the shutter on a camera can open kids and adults to the worlds that lives beyond their front doors.

For the month of April, the Warner Library's Fitzgerald Gallery will exhibit Linda Perlmutter's students' watercolor paintings. 

Perlmutter, the proprietor of Sleepy Hollow's Odyssey Art Center, sat with us for a few minutes to talk about her years of work before she dashed off to teach yet another class. On a bench outside the library we talk about her philosophy of art education.

"Well, it's more like art is everything—it's history, it's literature, it's science, because it can be experimental, it's math, because you are working with masses and shapes, and so on," Perlmutter said. "Art is a wonderful thing to be involved in. But to make art I deeply believe art has to be personal, especially to make good art."

Perlmutter teaches both children and adults at her art center. With children, she has them explore a variety techniques, mediums and cultures, while she sprinkles the notion of respect for those unfamiliar cultures. With the adults she teaches her true passion, watercolor. Linda got hooked on watercolor painting after she completed a Master's degree in English Literature.

"For ten years I studied watercolor at the Art Student League," she said. "One day a week I took classes at night when my son was young. During the day while he was in school I painted. I loved it. People love to say, you're so lucky you get to paint, but I paid my dues."

We end our talk and I agree to come the next night to meet some of the adults in her watercolor class.  Perlmutter's Odyssey Art Center is one of a small franchise of arts education studios and programs she oversees. But Perlmutter shies away from talking further about her business, which leaves me with one question: Does the business of art dilute art for art sake?

The next night the skies play a medley of blue notes across the Hudson River as the sun goes down. Perlmutter lives in Sleepy Hollow not far from Philipse Manor. Her street is quiet, even sleepy as I drive up. Down in her basement studio, splashes of color pop off the walls and whimsical mobiles hang from the ceiling.

Some of the adult students have already arrived while others trickle in later. This is a close-knit group with many studying the art of watercolor with Perlmutter for twenty years. Tonight's lesson features tulips, and a short discussion of complementary color in preparing a watercolor background.

Peter Joselow has been painting with Linda since his daughter was in grade school, now she's graduating from Harvard. A mechanical engineer by day, he paints in his spare time.

"I love coming here," he said. "I have no other aspirations. I don't do it for money, I paint for the love of painting."

Joselow goes on to say that Perlmutter's teaching style and grace is something he has never experienced before.

"It very unusual," he said. "I say this about Linda, she knows me, but it's unusual to have someone who's so talented who also knows how teach. If you think about it, even in life when you meet a teacher you like it's amazing. How many teachers have any of us had that really stand out?"

Joselow seemingly answers the question I came with about the business of art education.

Still later, I ask Linda about her business. For her, it is all about sharing and exposing people to art.

"I am always happy to have a my work making a wall happy, as opposed to sitting in a flat file," she said.

I look around the room and there is a bustling harmony with the students and teacher engaged in creative pursuits. The hot lime soother I drink goes down smoothly and I realize this experience isn't so much about the business of art, its about the journey.

Linda Perlmutter is an Art Educator and Watercolorist who lives in Sleepy Hollow, NY with her husband David and their friendly German Shepard name Zeus. You can reach Linda Perlmutter at http://www.odysseyart.com/

The reception for the Odyssey Art Center at the Warner Library is Sunday April 25th from 3:30-4:30PM.