Editing Bert Geer Phillips (section)

==Early life and education==
Phillips was born in [[Hudson, New York]] in 1868. During his childhood he was influenced by tales of the exploits of [[Frontier#United States|American frontiersman]] [[Kit Carson]] and other tales of [[American Old West|Western]] adventure involving [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indians]], such as those in [[James Fenimore Cooper]]'s ''[[Leatherstocking Tales]]''. In his recollections of childhood, he noted that he could always be found with paintbrush in hand. He was one of the first to enroll when [[George McKinstry]] opened an art studio in Hudson.<ref name=Peters/>

Phillips left home at age sixteen, moving to [[New York City]] where he attended the [[Art Students League of New York]] and the [[National Academy of Design]]. In 1894 he traveled to Europe, briefly staying in [[London]] before moving to [[Paris]], where he studied at the [[Académie Julian]]. While at the Académie he became friends with [[Ernest Blumenschein]] and [[Joseph Henry Sharp]].<ref name=Peters/>