Rita Finegan

When and where did you study with Dr. Gregor?

At ISU, 1976-1979

​

What was memorable from your time in his classroom?

​

I decided to switch from being an Art Education major to a Fine Arts major because of Dr. Gregor. When visiting my former High School Art teacher, Bob Sears during the summer break after Freshman year, I saw one of, Dr. Gregor's early corn crib paintings. It was more psychedelic than his later work, but it had an effect on me. I grew up on a farm and I was very familiar with the geometric shapes on the Illinois landscape against the beautiful sky. Also, there is something comforting about farm buildings, their ruggedness maybe. I thought, why not a homely crib instead of the usual barn? I

 

n Art History class, he used the phrase the "Heebie Jeebies" to describe the effect that some artist's work had on the critics of the time. He also introduced me to the name of a group of artists known as, the Luminists, a sub-group of the Hudson River School. I learned how to do watercolor from him, oil painting, and egg tempera. He had a theory about color, and I used his ideas in my own art. He gave me confidence in myself. He took me seriously as an artist. He somehow gave me permission to believe in myself as an artist. When I became a teacher, even though I was teaching High School Art, I was still able to draw from his example as a teacher.