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Irwin
R. Karassik
was born in New York
City on August 3, 1929. He attended what was then known as
the
High School of Music and Art (‘46) in New York, majoring not in
art, but in music, as a violinist. Thereafter he graduated
from Harvard College (‘50) and Harvard Law School (‘53). After
serving in the Army Signal corps., he began a successful career
in law, spanning a period of 46 years. He continued to play
the violin in amateur orchestral and chamber music ensembles in
New York City, such as the Doctors’ Orchestral Society and the New
York Symphonic Arts Ensemble. As he neared retirement, around
1995, and contemplated a move to Norwalk, Ct., he became increasingly
beguiled with the opportunity presented to him to use his free time
to return to an unfulfilled childhood aspiration to draw and paint.
To pursue this dream, he privately studied oil painting for several
years with Marla Korr in New York. In addition, he attended
workshops and courses, including the Silvermine School, Norwalk
Community College, and The Hudson River Valley Art Workshops.
Painting in oils, he has endeavored to apply the techniques of the
Old Masters and, recently, in both oils and pastels, he has attempted
to recreate the excitement of contemporary sports. In another recent project, he has created oil paintings using but three hues, i.e., blue, sienna and white, to capture the emotional impact conveyed by the black and white photography of professional photographer Alex Pietersen (see, Black & White gallery).
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