RJ's Last Birthday: the Students

Tom Tsuchiya was there,
and so was this photo
of Tom and RJ
in front of the monument Tom
designed for Xavier University


Here's a portrait
that Tom made
of the Master

(if we were Japanese like Tom,
Tom would now be called Miller,
just like the non-genetic members
of the Katsukawa family in the post from last week)




For whatever reason,
RJ seems to have inspired a school of 18th C.
French painting in Cincinnati

as exemplified by the above work by Charles Flowers
(who also attended this event)





RJ's career as a professor at the Art Academy
was terminated in 1952,
but a few years later,
he taught a few drawing classes
at the World Famous
Gebhardt Art School
(in downtown Cincinnati,
above the Empress Chili Parlor)

Here's one of his students from those days,
Julie Braucksick,
who specializes in painting
"cat rocks"
(like the one she's holding)
and then travels around the country
to sell them at cat shows.







Here's another French 18th C. piece,
done by former Gebhardts's student, Karin Hebenstreit
who has also become Cincinnati's
leading portrait painter.





Meanwhile, Karin's son, John
has begun a career in public sculpture
under RJ's occasional guidance,
and here's his 'Friar Tuck'
installed in the oh-so-artsy
neighborhood of Mount Adams.


A distant view of the happy friar.
(taken the morning after the party)


And there are some students
who though very talented,
just seem to disappear.

The girl who designed this Leda
was never even a student,
but just a model who worked in the classes
and figured "hey -- I can do that"

Which she did,
and designed it so well,
RJ cast the piece for her.




Here's a card she designed and mailed a few years later.

Last we heard,
she was living in Equador.
(her first name was Jill,
but that's all we can remember)