Penn Academy of the Fine Art Visit in Philly


I made it up to Sinking Springs Pennsylvania and then into Philadelphia the next day, what a great city! The city was really alive with people and new stores and buildings that I had never seen before. It was really a treat for me. My friends (Mike and Annson) took me to the new school building for PAFA and then into our old classrooms in the Museum building. It was nice to see the classrooms where I worked so hard to "get it right" but I never felt like I did "get it right". But no matter I had the desire to keep working and the teachers were encouraging none-the-less no matter how "bad" I felt my artwork was coming out. I was carefully brought into the creative world during those formative years in the Old Museum Building.
I did practice and work everyday I could when I was a student in the certificate program at the Academy. After working on casts, it seemed like I improved in my abilities to bring out something worthwhile because of my efforts and time put in at the easel. I still give the Academy credit for any success I have in my painting. The teachers showed me a good deal of understanding and help to do what I wanted to do. It was back in the nineteen seventies when I was a student their but I've been able to take what I learned everywhere I've gone, like the Charlottesville streets, the waters of the Cook Inlet in Alaska and everywhere inbetween. I developed my caricature style at the Academy and the people were supportive with me, showing me where I might look for inspiration in continuing my own style of cartooning. I was told to look up certain artist like Red Grooms who is a really talented man for lampooning our society and it's people, places and things. I was truly taken on a trip down memory lane last Saturday when I visited the old museum building in Philadelphia this past weekend. I'm thankful for the help in getting their showed to me by the people I stayed with who were classmates of mine years ago. I have continued to paint during the good times and not so good times mostly because of the love of art I was given at PAFA in the 1970-75 era.

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What Has Worked;

An oil of: "10 St. and Wertland Ave.n' Charlottesville"

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Another older building is somewhat expected when viewing a J Trippel site of artwork. I can't help it I like painting buildings of Charlottesville. Someone at the art center I belong to said "are we going to have more building facades coming in" so although I felt slighted some, I saw the point. I do buildings a lot. So much that a book is in the works because I do so many buildings. But more about that in the future once it is done that is (the book), for now I like to put something other than just a building, I am adding characters because of that comment. I felt the person who said that had come merit to what she was saying. Buildings are places where people dwell and work and such. I felt they should be include in my canvases somehow, without taking too much away from my structures. That's why the guys on scooters. The scooter idea is a new one for Charlottesville, its in an experimental stage with two companies putting them out in public places
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Murrey Steaks Building on West Main St. C'ville, Va.

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I've been thinking again in ink. I've got an idea of what I want to do next and I am playing around with it in an ink and paper motif. I might do this and perhaps not, because I wonder,"Who afterall wants to see these buildings in oil afterall?" But I enjoy them and have done them before in watercolor which is a big help due to having a prior knowledge of what lye ahead.
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Walton Home 'n Schuyler, Va.

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The proverbial home of Earl Hammner called to me to be painted. He was the author of the Americana book "The Waltons" and also the script writer for the TV show that followed. The TV show was widely seen during the 1980's. In this town of Schuyler where I now live E. Hammner is an icon and a museum has been established out of what was the elementary school in Schuyler. The museum is devoted to that TV show and its actors, memorabilia, plus a WWII museum added on to it. Folks who own the house now give tours to the Hammer home 9am to 5pm daily with only Sundays off. Schuyler is just off Rt 6 on Rt 800 (or Schuyler Rd) which is just east of Rt 29 and 30 miles south of Charlottesville (the home of The University of Virginia). I felt like I had been ignoring painting this home long enough and when I stopped into Ike's General Store to buy the local paper (the Daily Progress) some asked me if I ever painted it. Then it hit me: "I ought to do so, and
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