~ TESTIMONIALS ~
Prof Phil visits old friend and mentor, Ernst Fuchs, at the Chapel in Klagenfurt, Austria where he adorned the walls and designed the space. Summer, 2005
www.ernstfuchsmuseum.at/
''What choice is there if you are a chosen one, born to be a visionary painter on an esoteric path?
Among infinite chances to meet or not meet a person, is it by chance that we meet one bearing a special message -- step by step, forming a spiritual world of visual contemplation, of theological and philosophical Reasoning?
Phil and I met years ago just at the beginning of his path -- at the entrance to the reality of the imagination.
It was at Castle Wartholz where I gave lectures on the techniques of the Old Masters and, ever since, he has followed his way through the wilderness of contemporary art. His talents have revealed the message he has been chosen to give to his students first and to all who have set out to explore an esoteric interpretation of the universe. ''
- Ernst Fuchs -
Austrian painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, architect, stage designer, composer, poet, singer and one of the founders of the Vienna School of Fantastic Realism (1930 - 2015)
Today art is art and truth is something else.
For artists who are aware of the deep mysterious relationship of ART with TRUTH, this is a painful observation.
For me and many others , Brother Phil is an inspirational powerhouse,
who offers through his paintings, lectures, writings and art-teaching an antidotal perspective.
He does it with such natural competency, heartwarming love and exuberant compassion, that the divine meaning of art itself seems to come to life directly through his wondrous personality.
- De Es Schwertberger, Artist, Author and Sculptor
Vienna, Austria, 0ct.27.2008
"Balance", Oil on Panel, circa 1990s Stone series by De Es
Painting by Alex Grey
Phil Jacobson is an artist and mystic of rare intelligence…ever reminding us that creativity and spirituality are One.
- Alex Grey, Artist and Author
Above:
Self-portrait. c. 2005, by Madeline Von Foerster, Mischtechnik on panel
(egg tempera & oil)
Below:
Two Mischtechnik paintings by Madeline
Madeline von Foerster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeline_von_Foerster
Professor Philip Rubinov Jacobson has given me perhaps the most important gift of my artistic life. Six years of art school did not provide me with the tools that three weeks in his seminar offer. Not only is the Misch method exponentially faster, easier, and more enjoyable than the alla prima technique I used previously, but my paintings are also far more luminous and beautiful than before. They have a light and depth that I never could have attained the old way. I deeply appreciate having these time-tested methods and formulas, knowing that I am carrying on a tradition perfected by some of the Old Masters I revere most, and also knowing my paintings are now themselves more resilient to aging. "I have been consistently impressed by how Professor Phil conducts his class -- all students receive equal time and attention, regardless of their level. Abstract or photo-realist, professional or first-time painters will all receive instruction that is sensitive to their interests and needs. Moreover, the sojourn in Reichenau is a blissful artistic retreat, one which I would repeat for that reason alone! Imagine waking daily to a view of the Alps, ending each night in the steam room, with museums and hiking on the weekends... It is simply a perfect working vacation. I hope to return many times.
Acrylic painting by Kim Meghan Evans
KIM EVANS, Artist, Illustrator and Teacher
http://www.kimmevans.blogspot.com.au/
Attended and Assisted in teaching in the Seminars 2001 Austria & Florence, and 2002 in Austria.
The Alchemists
To me, a Great teacher/mentor is someone who believes in your creative spirit/soul’s calling, they hear and see it, with intuitive ears and eyes, listen to your creative passions and concerns/fears, while guiding and supporting you to grow. Most times gently, and sometimes with a shove…(they know you can fly.)
Great teachers commit to nurturing and supporting you in your journey as creative beings and assisting you in finding your expression of voice and vision…yours, no one else’s. They understand that you hold a personal, creative wealth of your own to be guided into being…and it can – if you accept the challenge & gifts of guidance – be preciously brought to the fore, like gems in an archeological dig. A Great teacher will hand you the shovel and brush to do the precious work of mining your own expression and creative wealth.
A Great teacher/mentor said to me, “when you come to learn with me, leave your bags by the door.”…
It doesn’t matter whether you enter the room of knowledge with a ton of past experience or none at all, a Great teacher will open new doors graciously to you. Offering from their pool of experience – with skill and patience – masterly techniques and the philosophies and crafts of masters, inspiration, fun and a space to meet precious life-long new friends, artists and acquaintances.
A Great teacher also opens another magical door, sometimes less tangible: These gifts to you from a Great teacher, are an expanded commitment to your evolving journey as a creative soul, and it is encompassed in their innate ability to facilitate, inspire, to bring an element of magic to the creative environment, to listen deeply, and to share that which they are passionate about, with you, if you are open to receiving it… all with a Great flame of Spirit, respect, compassion, humor, wisdom, knowledge, technique & psyche.
A Great teacher/mentor can make you feel as though you are their only apprentice in a room full of students, and each precious student feels the same. And when you have left the learning room, they are often on your shoulder as you work. If you listen, you continue to hear them and feel the blessings of the gifts your mentor shared and gave you. A Great teacher (like a Great friend) continues to transmit their giving, support, love, belief, joys in your success & your journey long after you go home, and even in the gap of distance & time.
To Fra PP - Philip Rubinov Jacobson,
one of the Great teacher/mentor/alchemists, and dear friend, who – as an added bonus to all the magic I mentioned above from attending and assisting at the wonder-full OMNV Seminars ( in 2001 Austria & Florence, and 2002 Austria), – also taught me a whole new vocabulary of Philism’s – echo’s that resonate off the walls of my studio & working process, making themselves heard at really odd moments. (Chanting)…schtumpfa…schpukah…mifna...split-mifna..
Forever Grateful, Thank you Phil.
With love and respect. Kim.
Like an alchemist, Professor Phil unlocks the secrets of the egg as a catalyst for evoking creative Gold. Effects of unrivaled luminosity can be achieved with the synthesis of the tempera and oil mediums, and Jacobson's heartfelt introduction to the methodology is certain to inspire the novice and the experienced artist alike. The painting seminars facilitate total immersion in the wellspring of the Muse, allowing for uninhibited exploration of the creative process. The rich tapestry of art history provides the backdrop for this odyssey through inspiration and technique, the destination being nothing less than the wildest visions of the participants.
As a teacher, Professor Phil demonstrates patience and empathy with the working process of each and every student. He possesses the incredibly rare ability to provide objective technical criticisms, whilst yet retaining deep respect for subjective interpretation. Correct procedure is meticulously demonstrated and explained, and the importance of learning specific techniques is applied to the unique artistic ambitions of the individual. In this way, the misch method is as relevant to the traditionalist who seeks to emulate the figurative nuances of the great renaissance Masters, as it is to the abstract painter who endeavors to render purely conceptual forms.
The misch technique has proven invaluable to me with crafting my own work. Both literally as a method of construction, and as an aesthetic legacy bridging my ambitions to those of the Old Masters, who first traversed the reflective mirror of Geist with pigment and medium. My creative process continues to evolve with my understanding of the technique, and I am tremendously grateful to Professor Phil for opening the gates to this ongoing journey!
Benjamin A. Vierling, Artist
USA, May, 2014
Joanna Newsom. Ys. 2006. Benjamin Vierling
(for Drag City Records. USA)
'Pomegranates', c.2010, Egg tempera & oil on panel. 12”x9”. Benjamin Vierling