Were I approached by some enthusiastic fellow, wishing to hear my views on establishing an art school like ours, I would quickly alert him to a few home truths: Once a central body of dedicated students becomes established, one must be prepared to assume a subordinate role. The instructor’s purpose is to serve the tradition in which he teaches […]

“One truly understands only what one can create” ~ Giambattista Vico (1668 – 1744) In his monograph on modern sculptor Raymond Duchamp-Villon, William C. Agee quotes this exceptional artist as having said, “I do not believe that each epoch creates all parts of its aesthetic, but that it finds its roots in the preceding generations which have prepared […]

Every individual attaining a personal mode of self-expression is self-taught. However supportive one’s training, the formation of an appropriate style and language is a private and very personal quest. The work of an accomplished artist establishes the standards by which it is judged. The body of work produced by an artist creates its own order. This unique symmetry establishes the criterion by which the work […]

The foundation course in Drawing appears to be the first step in a two-step dance: such is the impression given by the schedule of classes as printed on the back panel of this newsletter. Alas. all is not as simple as it seems. In fact, a student rarely moves from Drawing I to Drawing II […]

Rebecca Fredericks may be the third-generation artistically inclined member In her family, but it took more than genes to win an 812,000 trustee scholarship to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. The 17-year-old daughter of Phyllis and Anthony Fredericks of Glen Rock, near York, formerly of Mertztown, say it took a lot of hard work, […]

A great way to add depth and atmosphere to your drawing or painting is to use aerial perspective. Allow your viewer to walk through your drawing or painting with their mind. After all, it’s an illusion. It’s a dirty trick and a rotten lie that we can incorporate in our art to enhance the third dimension. In this next painting by Albert Bierstadt, we can see as the distance increases the […]