Hunter Eddy’s main goal in painting is to create an impression of light and depth over and around the objects or people he chooses to paint. “I work only from life,” he says, “never from photographs. I never use artificial lighting. Drawing and painting from nature is the only way to study the effects of natural light on objects and people, and for me nature is a constant source of inspiration and challenge. There is always an emotional connection between the objects and people I set up, and myself. With still-life the subtleties of the textures, the smell of the fresh fruit , the way the light changes on them revealing different colors at different times all help me understand and capture what I feel to be the essence of what I have set up. People always give off an emotional energy or feeling when posing. I try to tune into this to bring out their nature, bring my paintings to life, and work with the theme I have set up.” Hunter won the Excellence in Illustration Award at the Art Institute of Boston in 1990. After years of searching, he found The Florence Academy of Art and joined the student body in 1996. In 1998, Hunter became a principal instructor and Co-Director of the Painting Program. He has participated in numerous group shows, and his work is in private collections in Italy and the United States.