)[1] Plavcan studied trade at Academy High School but did not flourish there until noted instructor and Saturday Evening Post illustrator Eugene Iverd suggested that he take art classes.

[3] Under Ericson’s tutelage Plavcan developed a lifelong appreciation for landscape painting, and in October 1926, he was accepted into the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

[1] At the age of twenty-two, Plavcan received the Clark Award at the Corcoran Biennial in Washington, D.C. for his painting Mechanic Street, New Hope, Pennsylvania.

[3] Unlike other instructors, Plavcan taught many of his classes outdoors, and his students recall how he emphasized observation and the fundamentals of fine art.

[10] Plavcan continued to develop this style until the end of his life, ultimately settling on a more subtle approach that used the same bright colors but softer edges.