I went to art school from the time I was in 7th to 9th grade. The school was called Pels School of Art and it was in the famous Ansonia Building on 72nd Street and Broadway in NYC. Mr. and Mrs. Pels lived in the building and the school was on the 2nd floor. I would get up every Saturday morning, catch a couple of buses and stay for a good 4 hours. When you walked in you were immediately hit with the combined smell of linseed oil and turpentine. It was a just a big studio where we received a loving suggestion here, a very good point there. (Although somehow, that ear never got painted... and if you look closely, you can see where I added about one inch of his neck to his left side...hmmmm, what can I say, I was 14 at the time!). I built up a great portfolio which helped me to get into Music and Art (now called Fiorella H. LaGuardia HS of the Performing Arts...whew!). This training, this teaching, was a big difference, another WORLD from the classes that Edward took at Rhode Island School of Design. I received a solid foundation of drawing with pencil, pastels, charcoal and painting with oils. It is no longer there, I think it's a law firm now.
