▁from ▁City ▁College ▁of ▁New ▁York . ▁While ▁comple ting ▁his ▁MA ▁at ▁C CN Y ▁he ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁Ful br ight ▁Sch olar ship ▁to ▁Italy , ▁where ▁he ▁spent ▁one ▁year . ▁After ▁returning ▁to ▁New ▁York , ▁he ▁spent ▁the ▁next ▁de cade ▁exhib iting ▁his ▁paint ings ▁and ▁working ▁in ▁graph ic ▁design . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁he ▁has ▁lived ▁and ▁worked ▁in ▁T usc any ▁where , ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 5 , ▁he ▁founded ▁Studio ▁Arts ▁College ▁International ▁( former ly ▁Studio ▁Art ▁Cent ers ▁International ). ▁ ▁Career ▁In fl uen ced ▁by ▁the ▁Eastern ▁European ▁Jewish ▁ancest ry ▁of ▁his ▁parents , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁child hood ▁vis its ▁to ▁the ▁Museum ▁of ▁Modern ▁Art ▁and ▁the ▁Metropolitan ▁Museum ▁of ▁Art , ▁Ma ido ff ▁was ▁drawn ▁towards ▁a ▁narr ative ▁approach ▁to ▁painting . ▁His ▁coming ▁of ▁age ▁during ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁also ▁contributed ▁greatly ▁to ▁his ▁views ▁on ▁the ▁artist ' s ▁social ▁responsibility . ▁After ▁travel ing ▁to ▁Florence ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Ful br ight ▁Program , ▁his ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁art ▁of ▁the ▁Renaissance ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁history ▁of ▁Italy ▁took ▁root , ▁and ▁he ▁frequently ▁returned ▁while ▁supporting ▁his ▁family ▁with ▁work ▁in ▁graph ic ▁design ▁and ▁advert ising . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 7 3 , ▁he ▁decided ▁to ▁re loc ate ▁and ▁concent rate ▁on ▁painting ▁full ▁time . ▁Origin ally ▁sett ling