Kline Academy, Our Faculty

CHERYL KLINE Founder and Director of the Academy is a working artist who is in collections around the world.. She won an Honorable mention from the Portrait Society of America and is a classical realist painter. She studied with noted artist Jan Saether at The Bruchion School of Realist Art and at The Florence Academy of Art in Italy. Kline has a Bachelors Degree in Commercial Art from Woodbury University. www.cherylkline.com

HAL YASKULKA is an extraordinary artist with a sensitive touch and a classical sensibility. He creates both old master and contemporary art and exhibits his work nationally. Hal studied with re-known artist Jan Saether where he learned an old masters style of painting. You may have seen Hal at The J. Paul Getty doing a live figure painting demonstration. Hal teaches our Figure Painting Workshops.

GARY BLACKWELL has won so many awards it is hard to keep track. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Ringling School of Art in Sarasota, Florida. He is a signature member of the Pastel Society of the West Coast, and is a full-time painter enjoying both studio and plein-air painting. He works in Oil and pastel and continues to win awards for his exceptional plein air paintings.

ESMERALDA ACOSTA heads up our Quick Sketch drawing classes. She is an avid student herself who has studied with some of the best figure drawing artists on the west coast. She says it best in her own words: "Drawing is a passion for me. A craft I will hone til the end of my days." And her demos ROCK. She speaks volumes with each lesson as she shows you line by line how to achieve results.

Scott Yeskel has been painting his love/hate affair with Southern California since his relocation to the area six years ago. It is when Scott switches to his abstract work, with the spirit and color of the West appear. That’s right, Scott paints both abstract and representational landscapes switching back and forth using many of the same colors and themes. Inspired by mid-century masters such as Diebenkorn and Richter yet original in both content and style.

Dina Dalby is our resident Mandala specialist. She discovered her fancy for painting after coming to the Kline Academy over 3 years ago. Prior to studing painting, Dina was a gallery directory and is currently in the art consulting business. She has her Masters in Arts Management from Columbia College Chicago.

Let me just say, that I would not hire anyone who I wouldn't want to study with myself. Everyone who teaches at Kline Academy has my utmost respect for what they do, how they do it and how they instruct our students. Our vision is to become a great Atelier with teachers skilled in classical art. We've just begun, and we will continue to be an important part of the fine art cultural community in Los Angeles.
3264 Motor Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034, (310) 927-2436

Gia is our Studio Manager / Model Coordinator as well as a very fine model. For Model inquiries, please contact: klineacademy@att.net

Grigor Chilingarian is a classically trained artist who studied under a great Russian master and then continued his studies in Italy graduating from The Florence Academy of Art. His own quest for academic excellence makes him an exceptional instructor.

Regina Lyubovnaya is one of the most giving instructor have ever seen. She studied in many academies around the globe but found her true leacher, living master, David Leffel. She brings an academic method of painting and old master techniques to the class. Her thorough attention to detail will impress both the novice and advanced painter.

Brianna Lee attended UC Santa Cruz. and later moved to Los Angeles to study contemporary and traditional painting techniques at Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art. She later studied under master painter Adrian Gottlieb in his Atelier to learn the techniques of Verdaccio. She continues to experiment with the techniques she has learned and fuels her love of portraiture and figurative painting by studying the works of master artists.

Eric Pedersen has always had an affinity for the, creative process, and as a result of such, has ambitiously pursued an education primarily focusing on traditional mediums of art-making but with an exciting contemprary edge. He is a graduate of Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art, where he also teaches. Eric is best known for his large, dense paintings depicting the human form.