In terms of painting from nature, plain air might be about the most adventurous and satisfying kind of practice. To be in an artistic communion with nature is to develop a way to reflect its beauty, is a sublime privilege afforded exclusively to humans, and I would be honored to learn more about these skills. I want to paint both countryside as well as urban landscapes and the HRF is simply the ultimate classroom.

The array of masters that I’ll have the opportunity to paint alongside at the Hudson River Fellowship will be a life changing event and I can’t imagine ever having another opportunity as valuable as this one.

Michael Fetherston (b. 1973) is a native of New York City and is a recent graduate of the Grand Central Atelier. At an early age, Fetherston developed a passion for classical painting during his many visits to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and attended numerous art schools hoping to find instructors who could teach him the techniques of the old masters. After many years of searching, Fetherston never found anyone who still possessed the secrets of classical realist painting until he discovered the G.C.A. in 2016. Under the tutelage of Jacob Collins, Fetherston devoted himself to full time study and successfully completed the G.C.A.’s four year program. Fetherston believes that the rendering of the human form, in both portrait and full figure, is the most rewarding approach to painting. Fetherton works exclusively from life and without the use of photography.