Kewaunee Academy Students Study Master Painters while in New York

Six students of Kewaunee’s Academy of Fine Art (KAFA) accepted a special invitation offered by Sr. Vincente Criado, Publication Manager of the Hispanic Society Museum in New York, to “copy” paintings by Joaquin Sorolla y Batista, Master 19th/20th century oil painter, and 15th century artist Diego Velasquez.

Since the 16th Century “copying” the works of Master painters has been a principal method of learning. Intimate contact the student has with the original artwork helps them to understand the composition and brush work, in fact all of the technical aspects that were used by the Master.

The KAFA students spent two days studying and copying with oil paints the original works of Sorolla and Velasquez. They brought easels, paints and canvas and were allowed to set up immediately in front of the painting they were studying. The student work is never the same size as the original work and is stamped on the back of the canvas as a “Study.”

The students included: Dr. Suzanne Barnes, DePere, WI; David Kapszkiewicz, Appleton, WI; Zachary McClendon, Forrest City, AR; Molly Overstreet, Minneapolis, MN; Mara Pionek, Green Bay, WI; and Academy Graduate, Pamela Clausen, Kewaunee, WI.

Norma Bell, owner of the academy, stated her gratitude for the special invitation extended by Criado and noted that the students also had the opportunity to spend several hours at the Metropolitan Museum, the Fricke Museum, The Jewish Museum and the Museum of Natural History while they were in New York.

For more information call 920.388.4391 or email [email protected].