Angel Ambrose

angelambrose.com

Harold was an excellent teacher and he, Marlene, and I became friends. Harold could make any subject interesting. And he did! He made the 300 level art history interesting enough that I got an A+ (and I hated history)! In studio classes, he taught me to scumble and and got excited when my work was "in color!" When viewing my paintings, he instantly "read" what I was trying to convey.

In high school I painted photo-realistically and won many awards. Once he said, "Take a picture and save yourself a lot of time." Later when critiquing a painting, he was about to "get on me" my for my realism, but as he moved closer said, "Oh! That breaks down nicely as you get close. A little dash here and a slap-dash there." It was a delightful moment for both of us. Harold helped unlock the visual vocabulary that I still employ today. His instruction, direction, motivation, and validation led me to paint my BFA show in which I won Best Undergraduate Painter in 1985. Harold further encouraged me by purchasing two paintings from me. Harold indelibly left his mark on me.