Sentence:  Except for a rich friendship with the painter , Chauncey Ryder who gave him the only professional <WSD>instruction</WSD> he ever had - and this was limited to a few lessons , though the two artists often went on painting trips together - Roy developed his art by himself . 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill