Brendan Johnston, Grand Central Atelier alum and former instructor, guides readers through the artistic similarities and differences of the classical traditions of painting and sculpting. From oil on linen to Persian Travertine the essence of an observational craft is identical.

The Hudson River School is perhaps the most uniquely American form of realist painting to emerge from the United States. Founded in the mid 19th century by Thomas Cole, it inspired a generation of adventurous painters to depict the grandeur of the Hudson river valley and the American landscape in a manner that built on the traditions of the past while embracing an entirely new aesthetic and ethos. Painters such as Martin Heade, Asher B. Durand, and Frederick Church were the most celebrated American artists of their time but by the turn of the century their fame and fortune declined as the new era of modernism was ushered in. For true connoisseurs of realist art the lustre of their beautiful work never faded and today a truly special group of artists have worked to revive this great tradition, aspiring to return it to its greatest heights.

“I want to someday arrive at a place of perfect artistic synchronicity. I want to open the vein of creativity where my work flows forth with little struggle. I’ve been told that no one ever really gets there, but I have to believe in that dream in order to move forward.”

“There is an ideal that I’m always striving for, I know that it exists. I try to let the creative process guide me as much as I can.”

“Of course, when we’re dealing with history, it’s not merely doors that open, but giant arched thruways tended by angels and cherubs. Cavernous halls obsessively decorated with mesmerizing ornamentation and crumbling staircases leading to fading murals of ancient symbols and messages. One day, I had a realization; I was exploring the past to go into the future.”