I have been fortunate in my life to have experienced two extraordinary teachers, both of whom possess similar qualities. These qualities spring from a devotion to revealingthe beauty of the natural and symbolic worlds to their students. they transform the lives of those they touch.
Brigitte has and infectious and generous gift. It not only permeates her paintings but underlies and influences her work with students. I am grateful that she has enabled me to enter her beautiful world of color and form.
June Thurber Cox
They say that when you search you will find. I have been searching for Brigitte all my artistic life. I have taken many classes with different instructors but never really took flight. Brigitte is all about color and composition. I LOVE the freedom I have been given to play with colors, to make mud piles, and in so doing, have discovered a world of color. I am so glad that 2 fellow plein air artists recommended Brigitte. I would still be flailing, uncertain how to get the color I want on the canvas. I am very grateful to Brigitte for her guidance.
Beth Oehlert
Jim is amazing. He can help the beginning or professional artist, and it is very interesting to see this in progress in class. Whether it is a quick sketch or still life painting, he gets you to think differently and it comes out in your work. One of the things that Jim says, I have always liked, is"You have to put in the mileage" I felt: "What if I am doing the "wrong mileage"? But I stuck with what he was telling me and to my amazement, I was very happy with the results. I never had a teacher like Jim.
Diane Warner -Wang
Brigitte's sense of color is magical and it is very inspiring to watch her work. While sketching she has an extraordinary ability to capture a scene very poetically using just a few simple lines
Tyra Gilb
Jim is one of he kindest, most supportive and most knowledgeable teachers that I have ever met.
Tyra Gilb
I just moved from Philadelphia a year and a half ago and I found Brigitte Curt on the Internet. I loved her paintings and I decided to take her class. this was for me a wonderful decision. You do not always find a combination of a good teacher as well as a good artist. First of all she is devoted to her students. Before I even came to class she called me to find out my level of experience and also she wanted to look at my work and evaluate it. She was already diagnosing what my needs were and how she could help me fulfill them. She considers each student as an individual. Brigitte gives 150 percent of herself. She is able to offer and share information with you. Brigitte consistently demonstrates and in my experience many teachers do not. It is like being part of a family. I feel I am truly lucky to have found her. Fondly.
Ilene Silver
“Jim Smyth and Brigitte Curt form an excellent team, each complementing the other perfectly to provide a process for learning how to paint that is both logical and inspiring. Particularly useful to me has been the way they break down the art of painting into manageable elements, having a keen understanding of what each student needs at each stage of his or her development. Their classes are safe places to learn; as Jim and Brigitte have great empathy for the frustrations students may experience as their artistic expression evolves. They challenge me at the place where I am as well as provide a nurturing presence in the face of my technical limitations and crises of confidence. Both are wonderful human beings, bringing extraordinary insight and compassion to the process of learning. The lessons I have learned in their classrooms have carried into many other aspects of my life. That is the mark of a true teacher.”
“Taking classes with Brigitte after my breast Cancer made me look at nature in different way, embrace colors and shadows into a nice painting. Aside from being a superb teacher she is full of life.”
“Brigitte has been my teacher since 2004. she has taught me everything I know about Plein air painting, encouraging me, steering me, praising and criticizing, without which I never would have progressed as much as I have, she is the best art teacher I have ever had.”
“As a beginning painter I was so fortunate to have found Brigitte. Her enthusiasm and talent really inspired me to be the best I can. She motivates me to just get out there and paint. The environment she creates really brings joy when you paint. Her expertise is unparalleled. Painting with Brigitte has broadened my horizons and enhanced my life immeasurably.”
“ Brigitte is an amazing teacher and artist. I’d never even tried oil painting but Brigitte helped me overcome my fears and taught me to see the world differently. She does a wonderful job of juggling the basics and the very skilled and experienced artists who continue to take her classes. I’ve taken both her Plein Air and her studio classes and both are terrific. Her greatest gift to me has been the new awareness of the beauty all around me... in the colors of the sky and distant hills or appreciation of the composition of some special spot of beauty. She teaches us that whatever “mistake” we think we’ve made, we can overcome it and create something beautiful. This positive attitude really opens the doors to learning and to freeing the creative energy.
With my utmost gratitude”
“I have studied oil painting with Jim Smyth and Brigitte Curt for over five years. They are exceptional teachers. Tailoring instruction to each student’s unique needs and background, their distinctive artistic and teaching styles complement one another perfectly. From the basics of acquiring the right materials to frequent demonstrations to constructive critiques, their unwavering focus is on nurturing and supporting each individual’s personal growth as an artist.”