My father was born in Philadelphia in 1939. The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art were both a few blocks from his home and he spent many hours visiting the museums during his childhood. It was there that he was influenced by the exhibitions of the European masters.
This experience and admiration for art led him to study architecture at Temple University and later develop his own construction firm in the 1960s. During those years he regularly painted, including commissions for clients wanting to own reproductions of well-known artists. This experience allowed him to become successful enough to establish his own art gallery in Westmont, New Jersey in 1970 “Gallery 35”. The gallery was well known in the trade for my father’s fine restoration work and he is of the opinion that restoring fine paintings is an excellent learning tool for young artists.
My father continued to depict his favorite subjects, scenes of New York and Philadelphia. His subdued palette combined with his ability to project sunlight on canvas are reminiscent of the artists he admires, but certainly reflect his own abilities. After 9/11, his passion turned almost exclusively to painting the city with the American flag and they are his most sought after paintings today.
In 2003 he retired and seldom painted after that. He and my mother have been married 65 years.
Copyright © 2024 Laurence A Campbell - All Rights Reserved.