Frank Mason Landscape Painting Class

Every June since the 1970's, Frank Mason taught a Landscape painting workshop in Stowe Vermont.For an entire month a loyal following of students from Mason's Painting class the Art Students' League along with a smattering of students from all over the US and abroad,would paint the local Vermont countryside. For those of us fortunate enough to have attended these classes, they were a life defining moment and would influence our artistic vision through our entire lives.I kept a sketchbook with me at all times then, a habit I formed during my years of study with George Sotos,and recorded many of those moments where on a Saturday afternoon the class would assemble in Harry Burnham's barn,for the weekly Critique.One by one, Mason would critique all the paintings that the students were bold enough to bring in for his keen evaluation.These critiques were an important helpful lesson in objectivity as more than once I was brought back to reality, mostly gently, sometimes with a thud- as the veil was lifted from my eyes and the true appearance of the painting was revealed to me.