Magda Krance

At Campus School, the welcoming atmosphere of Dave Hodge's art classroom infused all who entered with an endless sense of delight, discovery, concentration, astonishment, glee, camaraderie, and the sheer joy of creation. Mr. Hodge encouraged the most timid and most talented with equal quiet enthusiasm, and celebrated our artistic exploration and creativity while gently guiding us to expand our imaginations' horizons. Mr. Hodge made making art fun and meaningful, with all manner of materials. We all worked hard and it never felt like work. We focused intently and also had fun being each others' models and appreciating each others' creations. Mr. Hodge taught us to look at slides of seemingly mundane or prosaic cityscapes and turn them into excitingly textured collages. He taught us to find complex relationships among the shapes and textures of the ever-changing wall-sized still life that filled one wall of the classroom, and to create exciting compositions in a variety of media. What a gift to us all. Thank you for everything, Mr. Hodge.

(above) Summer Storm, photograph, 1974

For me, and many of my Campus School friends, creative expression was an ongoing passion through high school, college, and beyond. I relished continuing to learn how to paint and draw, and enjoyed sketching, painting, and photographing whenever something caught my eye. Over the years my focus shifted from art to writing, though photography has remained an ongoing creative outlet. David Hodge's influence has been an enduring presence, long after we'd left Campus School.

(first row, below) French Summer Suite 1971

(second row, below) Physics: The Fabric of Reality, textbook illustrations, 1976

Holiday card, poetry and drawings, 1973

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