Cornelia Macfadyen

As far back as I
can remember I have painted pictures. If it were possible to have come out of
the womb with a brush in the hand…then that would have been me. The first
fourteen years of my life, I studied art with my grandfather, a medical illustrator,
Dr Frank H Netter.   At the end of each day, my grandfather would
stop work and we would critique each other’s work; what was good, what was bad,
and where we needed to concentrate. Sometimes he would teach me what I needed
to learn at that moment.

As I grew older, I
expanded my horizons, and my grandfather suggested The Art Students League. I
spent my weekends and summer there. Those years gave me exposure to new
techniques, providing me with a traditional foundation of drawing and painting.
I discovered the medium of oils and the richness of color and how to draw the
human figure.

As it was time to
choose a college for continuing my education…and the prospect of being a
starving artist in a garret, while a romantic idea, not my style.  So off
to Pratt Institute to become a commercial artist.  Little did I realize
that as a profession it wasn’t going to fulfill my
self-expressions.   After a few years, in the profession, I stopped,
and switched direction for work taking a 9-5 job.  That enabled me to have
time to paint, but little time to promote the work. 

During the
pandemic I began exploring the city taking photos and began to see a vision of
a new world occurring in my photos. I realized that photography provides a new
form of expression which was not present in my paintings.  


Portfolio: