Yuan's sensitivity to color and his tremendous powers of observation made him an outstanding student at NTNU, and confirmed his vocation to spend his life as an artist and teacher.
袁金塔天生對色彩的敏銳和對生活興味盎然的觀察，讓他在就讀師大美術系時便表現十分傑出，也讓他確定了這一生要以繪畫、教學為職志。