8 . ▁After ▁gradu ating ▁with ▁a ▁B . A . ▁degree ▁in ▁English ▁literature ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 , ▁K ip n iss ▁stayed ▁at ▁the ▁university ▁and ▁earned ▁a ▁Master ▁of ▁Fine ▁Arts ▁degree ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 . ▁By ▁then ▁he ▁regarded ▁himself ▁primarily ▁as ▁a ▁painter ▁although ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁write ▁poetry . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁K ip n iss ▁was ▁awarded ▁a ▁one - man ▁show ▁at ▁the ▁Creative ▁Gallery , ▁on ▁ 5 7 th ▁Street ▁in ▁Manh attan , ▁as ▁the ▁result ▁of ▁a ▁painting ▁competition ▁and ▁showed ▁semi - ab stra ctions ▁" s ug gest ing ▁rom antic ▁images ▁of ▁eth ere al ▁land sc apes ▁and ▁half - gr asp ed ▁moments ." ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁the ▁Harry ▁Sal p eter ▁Gallery , ▁also ▁on ▁ 5 7 th ▁Street , ▁gave ▁him ▁his ▁second ▁one - man ▁show . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁K ip n iss ▁and ▁his ▁wife , ▁Jean , ▁moved ▁to ▁Manh attan , ▁and ▁he ▁continued ▁to ▁paint . ▁He ▁was ▁draft ed ▁into ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Army ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁and ▁assigned ▁to ▁the ▁Inst ruction al ▁A ids ▁Division ▁of ▁the ▁Qu arter master ▁Corps ▁at ▁Fort ▁Lee , ▁Virginia , ▁where ▁his ▁drawing ▁skills ▁were ▁put ▁to ▁use ▁in ▁making ▁training ▁a ids . ▁D isch arg ed ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 8 ,