The thriving artist

In his 1990 book, "Nothing If Not Critical," then-Time magazine art critic Robert Hughes assayed the work of John Singer Sargent (1865-1925). In discussing the artist's drawing skills, Hughes wrote that it was "rarely less than dazzling in its fluency."

Hughes also opined that while Sargent was no modernist — he studied under the fiercely competitive atelier system of figure drawing in Paris — he should "no longer be dismissed as a flashy bore."

"There is virtue in virtuosity," Hughes wrote, "especially today, when it protects us from the tedious spectacle of ineptitude."

Enter Ryan Brown, a young artist from Springville, who, after completing the drawing program at Italy's Florence Academy of Art in 2003, wanted to share his acquired knowledge of the academic approach to drawing in an atelier setting with other artists. His dream: to create an art school in Utah where artists who crave classical-realist training could thrive.

"Since attending the academy," Brown said during an interview in the Deseret Morning News offices, "I've been teaching."

As he incorporated the drawing techniques he learned in Florence, Brown's reputation grew, which helped him accumulate art students from Brigham Young University and Utah Valley State College who desired more drawing skills. "BYU and UVSC have been offering students credit for attending my program," he said.

Brown has three students — disciples, really— who share his dream of creating an art school. All three have agreed to teach at the school once they've completed their own academic training and mastered the requisite skills.

Academic art refers to the tradition of drawing, painting and sculpture taught at the academies, or art schools, in 19th-century Europe. Emphasis was on technical ability and flawless execution, and learning to draw, especially the human figure, was the curriculum's foundation.

"I always wanted to learn to paint like the classical old masters," said Niki Covington, one of the three students. "I wanted to do religious subjects, like Carl Bloch. One of the reasons I came to BYU was that I hoped the school would be able to provide the religious background along with the classical-art training." When Covington discovered he couldn't get the level of training he desired at the Y., he realized he "had to go somewhere else."

"I really hope," said Rebecca Peaden, another of the students, "that we can get something going for people interested in doing realistic, academic work."

Both Covington and Peaden appreciate and value their art education at BYU; they just want more, and Brown's drawing program has given it to them.