Greetings from Philadelphia

[Garth Herrick]

Thanks everyone,

SB: Who is the other SOG member from Temple (Tyler School of Art)? I know little about Tyler, but many artist friends and co-workers studied there. I have to confess it was love at first sight at PAFA. I actually first fell in love Frank Furness's amazing architectural masterpiece of 1876. Gradually I realized the instruction was pretty good too. Arthur deCosta was the main instructor who was upholding the legacy of Thomas Eakins as well as all the extant knowledge of the old masters. I think he taught me more than any instructor, and I was one of his esteemed disciples until he perceived that I was defecting to the modern camp. Anyway, this May 7, with the opening of the annual student thesis show, Arthur deCosta will be receiving the Academy's top honors along with a retrospective exhibit at the Woodmere Museum of Art .

Mike: Thanks! I may not realize how recognizable Ed Rendell is outside of Pennsyvania, although he is enormously popular here. The thing is his campaign staff usurped the reference photo I had taken of him and used it 10 million times over in campaign literature. So when the portrait was finally unveiled, there was no real shock or surprise because it already was a familiar household iconic image in Pennsylvania, just like Lincoln on a penny!

Kim, thanks too! The background was an element I added to fit, since my reference picture was taken in Rendell's campaign office with a plain white wall.

Garth