In the late 1960’s, as a student in the Architecture Program of the University of Pennsylvania, I learned to draw (pen ink sketches) from noted painter Neil Welliver, followed by painting classes by Lloyd Nick. And being the recipient of two Travelling Fellowships at Penn (one given for achievement, the other won in open competition), I travelled throughout Europe, especially Italy- sketching and note taking.
Hired as a faculty member in the Department of Architecture at Temple University, teaching design studio, drawing and graphics, I let two 3-week long summertime Study Tours, lecturing and teaching drawing skills to a group of 15 students through Italy and Greece, visiting lively cities and isolated ruins. I also had the opportunity to teach at Temple’s Rome campus, in 1996 and 2012, with one of my classes being Roman Sketchbook, and I drew alongside the students I taught.
Architectural presentations in the Graduate School of Fine Arts at Penn required rendering those outline sketches- and so light and shade, texture and pattern entered my vocabulary. And also having two sabbaticals that allowed me to set up studio in Rome gave me further opportunity to draw large panoramas as well as precise details- of the sort of traditional classically-inspired architecture that I love.
When the Architecture Program became an integral part of Temple’s renowned Tyler School of Art in 2000, I became more involved in Philadelphia’s art scene, belonging the 3rd St Gallery on 2nd St in Old City and now, presently, at the DaVinci Art Alliance in Bella Vista, South Philadelphia- solo shows, group shows, juried shows. And rather than just draw “what is”…what I saw, elements of creative fantasy entered my oeuvre. And expanded my medium from charcoal renderings and b&w drawings to full-color works-on-paper and collages.
As I continue to make art and continue to move back and forth from the two cities I know best and love- Rome and Philadelphia- the city that is 2500 years old has so many lessons to offer to this “upstart” city of 350 years. And so it continues to deeply influence me, in the making of my art, in my cafeer in teaching, and in my professional practice as a registered architect.