The Prince oil on board 12" x 16"
Paintings Available for sale
linannemisja@gmail.com
So, back to the "story"- how I became an artist. I moved to the city of NY, and I studied there at the Art Student's League. I enjoyed the instruction of Goodbread, Teply, Jacobs, and a few others. But my mentor became David A. Leffel. I still have my notes from those days. I dated everything and I discovered as I reread everything that it took about 16 months studying with David before I landed my first gallery. I continued to study with him, part time and full time for six years. A friend of mine, who is an excellent sculptress introduced me to the folks at The Nelson Rockefellar Gallery, right there in the best spot in New York an artist could wish for to land a gallery. They took me on immediately and after some months also showed my work
in their Minneapolis gallery. It is a difficult transition, student to working artist. Difficult because your skin hurts from all the pinching you do to let you know it is real. The student mindset has to make its switch to the professional mindset. Ok, it is a fun transition.
After enjoying some time as a Professional Fine Artist, I began to get involved in the art clubs New York has to offer. I was hanging a show one day at the Salmagundi Club, which houses the activities of the American Artist's Professional League, when a board member asked me if I would like to become a member of the board. I was, frankly, astonished. The AAPL is one of the oldest and most prestigious art organizations in the country. Surely, he didn't mean me. Maybe they ask all the young people to come on board. I accepted and at the first meeting, I was absolutely amazed. The board was made up of the finest artists, elderly gentlemen and women, some younger in their 50's, but mostly septuagenarians and octogenarians. And me.
I learned so much from my time on the Board of Directors. I will remain forever grateful for the experience. The fine artists on that board were the example of integrity as we juried National Exhibitions. Soon, however, my New York experience would come to a close.
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