Nathan Bertling [NRA 2022]
Worn through, 2022
Oil on canvas
36 x 24 inches (image)
37.75 x 25.75 x 2.5 inches (framed)

L I N E A G E
From 2002-2008 in Asheville, NC, I studied under ARC Living Master Benjamin F. Long, IV— a former student of Frank Mason at the Art Students League, as well as an apprentice to Maestro Pietro Annigoni in Florence, Italy. Ben deeply impressed upon his pupils the importance of direct observation, while patiently modeling an ethic of communal learning and attentive craftsmanship.

Later, I was also privileged to attend Bo Bartlett’s 2016 Master Class in Columbus, GA.
Bo generously offered us what he had gleaned & gathered from his studies under Ben Long and Nelson Shanks, his time at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, and his deep friendship with Andrew & Betsy Wyeth.

Shaped by a belief in real presences, I seek, as much as possible, to work directly from life.
From my studio, I share this enriching heritage by tutoring students in the knowledge and
practices that continue to shape me.