Being self taught means that I study from afar the works of those masters.

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Being self taught means that I study from afar the works of those masters.

From

Published before 2005

Since I was very young I have always been enchanted with art depicting classical themes. Egyptian, Greek, Roman, the Renaissance, right up to the present. I am a professional artist, as my father was before me. My father was an Austrian and he had the beginnings of a classically trained art education, the war cut that education short as he was sent to fight for the fatherland. From my father I received my art education, unfortunately it was not complete, so I have the dubious destination of being called "self taught".

Though I have no classical training in the true sense of the word, the spirit of those masters who grace your web site lives in me. Being self taught means that I study from afar the works of those masters. That is what brought me to your web site and I must say it has been a wonderful education. As a young artist growing up in the 60's and 70's my idols were the realist painters and so I have experienced first hand the contempt and rejection of the modernists. There contempt never bothered me however, for I saw the game they where playing as pseudo psychology, not art. If a thing needs a plaque as long as your arm beside it to describe what it is, because just looking at it leaves you clueless, it is not art.

Not long ago I was giving an art demonstration at a local school and after the teachers herded a troupe of children from kinder garden to grade six in front of a number of my canvases, they shushed them into silence but for one little one who piped up as she saw my paintings, "Oh you're a real artist!"with emphasis on the REAL, that said it all, children know what art is, no plaque was needed. and out of the mouths of babes the truth is spoken.

I have a web site of my own www.robertwanka.com featuring a portfolio of my work. I saw the net as an opportunity to expand my art education. Thanks to your web site that opportunity has been wonderfully realized.
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