Surprise Visitor

One Saturday Open Studio session we had a former High School art student pay us a visit. Jimmy Galpin, who graduated from the Melbourne High School 2001. Read on to hear all about Jimmy.

  I grew up in Melbourne and used to attend the Art Guild when I was a teenager. I studied drawing with Jon Houghton and majored in painting in college.  I then got married to Stephanie Miracle, and we moved to New York City from 2006-2011.  We both decided she should keep her last name, and I decided to change mine to hers. She is a modern dancer and danced professionally with a few companies like Susan Marshall, David Dorfmann, and Laura Peterson.  I continued studying classical painting from 2006-2009 with Dan Thompson and Brandon Soloff both at the Art Students league and privately.  In addition, I continued to make contemporary sculpture. I showed with a few galleries and museums while in New York and have always straddled both classical and contemporary art in my personal practice.  Last year Stephanie was awarded a fellowship to get an MFA in dance at University of Maryland, and we now live in Washington DC while she finishes her degree.  I love to visit the Art Guild when I can make it home for the holidays.  It is a place that keeps alive our Art Spirit, our momentary visions beyond the usual toward what Robert Henri refers to as "Signposts on the way to what may be. Signposts toward greater understanding."

Good Luck Jim! We are so proud of you and your success. The portrait sketch that Jimmy did (shown above) on that Saturday was a splitting image of our model! Visit his website to see more of his work.   www.jimmymiracle.com