By Marylynn Uricchio, Post-Gazette SEEN Editor

Mort Kunstler is one of America's foremost historical artists, best known for his paintings and prints of the Civil War. He got his start painting historical material for National Geographic Magazine and doing Western art, including covers for Louis L'Amour novels. A commission to do a painting for CBS's "The Blue and the Gray" led to his interest in the Civil War. His work has been featured in 12 one-man shows at the Hammer Galleries in New York and in many books including "Images of the Civil War - The Paintings of Mort Kunstler" and "The American Spirit - The Paintings of Mort Kunstler." Kunstler will sign copies of his new Snow Print at Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Hall during Living History Days Oct. 6 and 7. Call 412-621-4253.

Q. As an artist who has painted battle scenes, did you watch the bombing in New York in any special way?

A. I was just overwhelmed. I couldn't work, I couldn't think of anything else. I saw it live when it was happening on TV, and it was like watching a bad horror film except it was real. I have to say as these events unfolded, the explosions, the smoke, I did observe them in a special way because I have painted that sort of stuff so often. I've done a lot on World War II, and I'm sure I put it in my memory bank for future use. It automatically works that way.

Q. Are you painting anything about the bombing?

A. A publisher called and just asked today. He suggested I do a painting of the three firemen with the flag, sort of like Iwo Jima, and I said at the present time there is no way I could do that. I would feel like I was taking advantage of the circumstances. He gave me a very good lecture, and it's a valid viewpoint. He said no one condemns the flag companies for working overtime, and they are making money. No one condemns the florist industry or Hallmark. But I like to climb into my paintings in the morning and climb out at night. I climb into each character and wonder what they're thinking and saying. This - if I were to climb into this painting - I would just cry.

Q. What is it about the Civil War that keeps it alive? It actually has fans.

A. There's no question. It has a huge following. I do know what people tell me about my work. It seems the subject matter has struck a chord with Southerners in particular. I think that they were afflicted by the Civil War more than Northerners. The war was fought there. I think they also go by battlefields and monuments every day and are reminded of it. Some Northerners say they're still fighting the Civil War down there. I don't think that's the case at all. I think they're remembering it. I also think that Southerners tend to live in the same geographic areas generation after generation. People remember their heritage.

Q. What kind of research is necessary before you paint?

A. First I will contact the foremost historian that I can on that particular event. If there's anything to look at, I will go to the site. I did a painting of Vicksburg and there was nothing to see. The city was built up around where I was painting, but I came up with a viewpoint that you could not photograph because there are buildings in the way of the view. I reconstructed the city and contacted experts in every area, the National Park Service historians, consulted various maps, and very often there are photos.

Q. As in historical fiction, how much of your art is made up?

A. What it amounts to is you start out with whatever evidence there is, then you work your way to the probable. We don't know that Robert E Lee had his hat in his hand at the time, but you put yourself in his place. If people are cheering, you take the manners of the day and figure he had his hat in his hand. If he is the equivalent of a rock star, for example, the kids would be chasing after him and dogs would be chasing the kids. You sort of create from what is missing, and the missing parts are the fun. People haven't changed all that much.

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