| CHRIS
FRANZ began pursuing art as a career in high school, when
he attended Sumner Academy of Arts and Sciences in Kansas City, Kansas. "The
school is one of the few in the nation to utilize both Advanced Placement
and International Baccalaureate programs to prepare students for
college. During my time at Sumner, my elective focus was on the Fine
Arts. My interest was primarily in drawing and oil painting. I was
interested in figure and still life, but self-portraits dominated
my portfolio.” After graduating from Sumner in 2000 Magna Cum Laude with a GPA over 4.0, Chris received over $100,000 in merit-based scholarships, including those to the Kansas City Art Institute, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and the Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts. Chris chose to further his education at the Lyme Academy because of its dedication to traditional representational art, and attended the college on the highest scholarship in the school‘s history. “LCFA is one of the few undergraduate art programs based on life and observation skills. Although I have always had an appreciation for abstract work, I consider representational skills a must for any painter or sculptor.” At the Lyme Academy, Chris focused on figure construction and anatomy. He used casts, life sessions, sculpture and master copies as a way to understand the human form. Studying with artist Deane G. Keller taught him how to invent figures from imagination and to reproduce them faithfully from life. In 2005 Chris graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Arts to pursue a career in painting. “My work, which has recently consisted of large narrative paintings, is primarily figurative. I struggle to create images that are engaging rather than competent, never separating medium from meaning. The ideas I pursue are often quite evolved and personal. For me, the battle is to create a painting that has reached its peak as an idea and as an object.” Chris’s artistic goals fuel his philosophy of teaching: “Good painting and drawing is a juggling act that requires great vigilance. No great idea, technical skill or emotional component is enough to drive an image. It is the combination of all three that produce a successful result. Students, therefore, need to learn to master skills, ideas, and emotion within their work. By studying from life, developing imaginative capabilities, and learning from the great artists of the past through qualified teachers of today artists can advance their abilities on all three levels and improve their work greatly.” |
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