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Clayton J. Beck III
708-717-4388
myartist2@aol.com
http://www.claytonbeck.com/
Clayton Beck graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. During the mid to late 1980's, he taught and studied here at the Palette and Chisel with Richard Schmid. He is currently represented in galleries throughout the Midwest and Southwestern US. He has received awards of excellence and distinction from the Midwest Pastel Society, the Pastel Society of America, the Municipal Art League of Chicago, the Palette & Chisel and the Oil Painters of America. |
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David R. Becker, TWSA
(312) 425-6408
http://davidrbecker.com/
David R. Becker is a respected illustrator, fine artist and art instructor. He is the author of ''Watercolor Composition Made Easy'' (1999), and ''How to Sketch with Watercolor'' (2003), both published by North Light Books. Becker has had articles published in International Artist, American Artist and Watercolor Magic magazines. Becker began teaching watercolor in 1983 while still a student at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Since then he has taught classes at the Palette and Chisel and has led many workshops around the country. |
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Ralph Cossentino
847-490-1965
A native of Italy, Ralph's love for art has inspired him to depict the human figure since his teenage years. He has studied at the American Academy of Art. The School of the Art Institute, The Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts and Clinard Sculptures and drawings have been displayed in various galleries throughout Chicago. |
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Audry Cramblit
(312) 342-7131
www.audryc.com
Audry Cramblit received a degree in Advertising Design from The Colorado Institute of Art in 1987. In 1993, she moved to Chicago, working at first as a scenery painter for theater and tradeshows before moving on to murals and faux finishes in private homes. In 1999, she won the Lascaux Best Cow Award in Chicago’s famous "Cows on Parade" exhibit for her work "Buttermilk". Around this time, she enrolled in her first sculpture class, immediately developed a passion for classical figurative sculpture and has spent the last eight years creating countless life studies in clay and three continuing collections of bronze figures. In 2005, Audry won a scholarship from the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts. Audry has taught sculpture at The City of Chicago's After School Matters program (formerly Gallery 37). Today, Cramblit sculpts full-time in her Pilsen studio and teaches figure sculpture at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts. Audry is represented by Hunter Wolff Gallery in Colorado Springs and Bella Vista Gallery in Chicago, IL. |
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Tom Francesconi
(708) 799-8161
info@tomfrancesconi.com
http://tomfrancesconi.com/
Tom Francesconi studied watercolor with Irving Shapiro at the American Academy of Art in Chicago. After working more than 12 years as a transparency retoucher for national advertising, Tom began to devote himself to his painting. He began teaching in 1991 and now teaches watercolor workshops throughout the country.
Tom has been the recipient of many awards in major national exhibitions. He has earned Signature Membership in a number of watercolor societies, including the National Watercolor Society. Tom has lectured nationally on watercolor and has been invited to serve as a juror for numerous watercolor exhibitions including the 2007 Transparent Watercolor Society of America national exhibition. He has also served as President of TWSA.
Tom has had paintings selected to be featured in 7 books on watercolor. He has written articles for Watercolor Magic and Watercolor magazines. Tom is represented by galleries in Door County, WI, and Frankfort, IL. |
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Rose Frantzen
www.oldcityhallgallery.com
Born and raised in Maquoketa, Iowa, Rose's Chicago ties include attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago. She also spent many hours at the Palette & Chisel Academy where she worked under the mentorship of Richard Schmid. With her husband and fellow artist, Charles Morris, she currently owns and exhibits at her large studio/gallery located in the old city hall in her home town of Maquoketa.
Rose recently finished a project where she painted the "people of Maquoketa", completing 180 same sized portraits of individuals ranging in age from 4 to over 100. She plans to exhibit them in an abstract installation surrounded by surrealistic references.
Among other recognitions, Rose's work has been featured in US Art Magazine, ArtTalk, Southwest Art, and Portrait Signature, the journal of the American Society of Portrait Artists. Check out her website at oldcityhallgallery.com. |
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Romel de La Torre
(847) 630-3889
www.romeldelatorre.com
Born in the Philippines in a community of artists, Romel de la Torre's artistic interest started at a very young age. In the late 70's Romel and his family immigrated to the United States where he began going to museums studying and learning on his own; works of famous masters like Sargent, Sorolla, Fechin, Mucha, and the American Impressionists. He then attended the American Academy of Art and soon after graduating with a fine arts concentration; Romel joined the Palette and chisel academy, where he began painting with nationally renowned artist Richard Schmid and a community of other painters. A consummate artist in all media, Rome de la Torre is one of today's most highly regarded artists. His figures, landscapes, portraits, and still life paintings display unparalleled technical skill, fluid style, and thorough understanding of light, color, form and design. He has won numerous prestigious and national honors/awards and is a signature member of the Oil Painters of America. He is represented by several galleries throughout the United States and his work has been featured in the Artists Magazine, Southwest Art, and the U.S. Art Magazine. Please visit his website at www.romeldelatorre.com. |
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James F. Hajicek
(312) 446-9649
papc@earthlink.net
James Hajicek is a native of Indiana who has lived and worked in Chicago for over 20 years. He studied painting, drawing,
and sculpture at School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Columbia College Chicago, and the American Academy of Art.
He graduated from the School of Representation Art in Chicago, where he focused on drawing and painting in the French Academic tradition.
He has taught drawing at the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts and the Highland Park Art Center. He is member of the Oil Painters of America, Plein Air Painters of Chicago, Plein Air Painters of Indiana, the Hoosier Salon (IN), and the Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts. In 2008 he was the recipient of Roger Brown Studio Residency Fellowship.
His work has been exhibited in Chicago at the Sulzen Gallery of Fine Art; Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts; Swirl Chicago; Northwest Café Gallery; Around the Coyote; and the Gene Siskel Film Center Gallery. He is represented by the Hudson Gallery of fine Art in Indiana, where he recently won best of show in the annual Fall Juried Exhibition (2009). This past summer 2009 he was selected to participate in a number of national Plein Air Painting Events, including Plein Air Easton (MD); Plein Air Estes Park (CO); the Goshen Amish Acres Quilt Paint Out (IN); and the monthly Southport Neighbors Plein Air (IL).
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Phil Kantz
847-677-9007
www.philkantz.com
Most of his life Phil has been an illustrator/graphic designer with his own studio in Chicago's loop. He developed a large creative range for the demands of his clientele, the list of which reads like a " Who's Who" of top corporations: Amoco Oil, Encyclopedia Britannica, Hammond Organ, Rand McNally, Sears, and Walgreens to name a few.
Promoting goods and services creatively was interesting, but Phil soon realized his need to start making art more for himself. He has exhibited throughout the country and has won numerous awards. A cover story about him appeared in the June 1988 issue of American Artist. He also participated on a television panel show on portraiture,
"American Art Forum with Richard Love," in November 1989. His works continue to be part of numerous collections to this day. Phil has taught this information-packed class here at the Palette & Chisel for several years now.
Phil celebrated 25 years as an active member of the Palette and Chisel. Other memberships include: the Municipal art league of Chicago, The Chicago Artists' Coalition and The Skokie Art Guild.
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Robert Krajecki
(630) 557-2027
KanevilleFolk@aol.com
Bob Krajecki started his art studied with the Famous Artists Correspondence course from Westport, Conn. Drafted into the United States Army Aircorps during the Vietnam conflict, he became the staff artist for the "Army Flyer" newspaper. He continued his studies at the American Academy of Art and the Chicago Academy of Fine Art in Chicago, receiving his degree in watercolor painting.
Upon graduation, Bob pursued a fine art career and exhibited his paintings throughout the Chicagoland area. He started teaching classes in Downers Grove and in Lyons. Bob started teaching full time at the American Academy of Art in 1972, teaching classes in the fundamentals of art, watercolor painting, architectural illustration, cartooning and Adobe Photoshop. He was chosen as the first chairman of the Fundamentals program when the Academy introduced the Bachelor of Arts program.
Bob is currently teaching classes at the Palette and Chisel Academy, and at the Kaneville Community Center in the Fox Valley Area and does demonstration painting and workshops throughout the Chicagoland area.
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Helen Oh
773-338-3781
hoh1@fastmail.us
www.ohandconklin.com
Helen Oh is a painter and conservator of old master paintings. Her oil paintings have been exhibited at the Terra Museum of American Art, National Academy of Design Museum, NY; Elmhurst Art Museum, IL; Muscarelle Museum of Art, VA; St. Anselm College, NH; University of Illinois at Chicago; Harper College, IL; Chicago Athenaeum; Arts Club of Chicago; ACA Gallery, NY; Salander-O'Reilly Galleries, NY. Her work is in the collection of Columbia University and the Americas Society in New York City. She has received two Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation Grants. Oh teaches Painting—Materials and Method class at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago
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Marci Oleszkiewicz
708-369-2901
www.marcioleszkiewicz.com
Marci Oleszkiewicz is a painter whose work has been said to exude a sense of peace and calm. Her paintings have recently received several awards including Best of Show at the 2007 American Impressionist Society National Show. She is currently represented by Gallery Russia in Scottsdale AZ and Barnsite Gallery in Kewaunee, WI. Marci has received the vast amount of her training at the Palette and Chisel Academy of Fine Arts. She is a member of the Oil Painters of America, The Society of Master Impressionists, the Plein Air Painters of Chicago and the American Impressionists Society. To view her work, visit www.marcioleszkiewicz.com or her artist blog at www.marcipaints.blogspot.com.
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Robert Pernau
(312) 280-1789
Robert Pernau received his first formal art training from a local illustrator and painter, De Witt Whistler Jayne. After this training, he graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago. Bob worked as a commercial artist for 40 years, before semi-retiring. He currently teaches and is an active oil painter at the Palette and Chisel.
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Dale Popovich
(219) 838-8645
Of the many ways one might describe Dale Popovich, visionary may be most apt, for talent and ability aside, it is the quality of Popovich's vision that defines his work. Temporarily blinded at 20, Popovich had only his visual memories to keep him company. And he learned to pare down the images until what remained - and stayed with him- were the essences of what he remembered. This purity of vision is realized through a rare selectivity of detail that gives each painting uncommon strength. Popovich paints the midewest in keenly perceived landscapes that celebrate Nature and Man's humble attempts to tame it. Every painting is vivid in his mind's eye; he paints from this vision rather then from life. By mentally wandering the scene, he breathed dimension in to the paper with strong, moody interplay of light and dark - a true colorist's eye into the scene-bridges by which virtually everyone can follow. WE are pleased to offer to you this experience. An we hope you will be stirred by it as we are. Popovich has a degree in Fine Art from the American Academy of Art in Chicago, He had devoted 25 years of teaching numerous fine art and graphic design courses in the Heartland. He presently illustrated for two national magazines, Water Gardening and Midwest Gardening.
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Diane Rath
(847) 710-6701
dianekrath@yahoo.com
www.dianerath.com
Diane Rath is acknowledged as one of today's finest painters and visionary teachers. For twenty years, she has been perfecting her skills while teaching at the prestigious Palette & Chisel Academy of Fine Arts in Chicago. Her education is extensive and ongoing. Over 8 years of study at the American Academy of Art preceded many hours and workshops with Richard Schmid, David Leffel, Harley Brown and Gregg Kreutz. The result is a unique blend of painting in a virtuoso method. Her enthusiastic teaching skills provide rapid growth within her many students. She taught 10 years at both the American Academy of Art and the Palette & Chisel Academy in Chicago. She is represented by four galleries, is a Signature Member of OPA, a member of the Palette & Chisel, American Women Artist, and Artists on the Bluff.
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William Schneider
815-455-4972
wschneid@mc.net
William attended the American Academy of Art. He also studied with Harley Brown, Scott Christensen, Dan Gerhartz, Ramon Kelley, Huihan Liu and Richard Schmid. His paintings have been featured in American Artist, Southwest Art, Art of the West, International Artist, The Pastel Journal, Art-Talk and The Artists' Magazines .He has won awards in many national shows including those of: The Pastel Society of America, Salon International, International Museum of Contemporary Masters, and The Portrait Society of America. He shows in galleries in Napa Valley, Santa Fe, Cape Cod, and Door County. He is also a Signature member of the Pastel Society of America.
William has authored instructional books for Walter Foster Publishing, including Pastel II, and The Art of Oil Painting. His work is also featured in Pure Color: The Best of Pastel, North Light Books, 2005. His instructional pastel DVD was released by Liliedahl Video Productions in the spring of 2006 (www.lilipubs.com).
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Michael Van Zeyl
http://www.michaelvanzeyl.com
Michael is a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago. While running his own graphic design studio, Michael took evening and weekend classes here at the Palette and Chisel and in New York at the Art Students League to advance his training as an artist. Michael is now a full-time professional portrait and gallery artist and has been exhibiting work in various shows and galleries across Illinois & the nation. He has received multiple commissions, honors, and recognition from: Portrait Society of America, Portrait Society of Atlanta and American Artist Magazine.
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Henry Yan
www.henryyanart.com
Influenced by great realistic masters' works of Repin, Levitan, Fechin, Sargent... Henry Yan started his formal academic studies of drawing and painting at the age of 15. He received his strict fine art training under some leading artists and art professors of China. Henry Yan has been a full-time member of the faculty at the Academy of Art University since 1996. Yan is the author of the acclaimed book Henry Yan's Figure Drawing - Techniques and Tips. His work is held in private collections and galleries worldwide.
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Don Yang
312-497-2020
don@donyang.com
Artist and freelance illustrator, Don Yang has been teaching drawing, artistic anatomy and painting in and around Chicago and in Tennessee, where he has operated a drawing workshop studio. He was trained in fine art and illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, where he received BFA and MFA with honors. Currently, Don is a full-time faculty member of the American Academy of Art, where he teaches figure drawing and oil painting. His paintings and drawings are collected by art enthusiasts throughout the U.S and Europe.
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