laststandonzombieisland

I dabble in paint every now and again. In the past twenty years or so I’ve probably pained 200~ works, most of which were painted over. Some, my from my velvet Elvis period, were sold for peanuts and are probably gracing bathrooms in trailer parks across Southern Mississippi. The single thing that ties them all together is that I am horrible at capturing eyes and generally try to avoid it if at all possible.

Of course my paintings are shit, but N.C. Wyeth on the other hand, is truly an American master not only of martial subjects but of historical art overall.

But I smile in the fact that he also seemed to have hated painting eyes– as you can hardly ever find one in a Wyeth painting.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m not comparing myself to Wyeth, he was a great artist, but I challenge you to find the eyes in his work!

Born October 22, 1882,  Newell Convers Wyeth produced no less than 3,000 completed illustrations. His work graced some of the best-selling classics of the early 20th century including Treasure Island, Kidnapped, Robinson Caruso, King Arthur and others.

Always experimenting, he was something of a speed painter, being able to complete a huge work in as little as three hours from idea to sketch, to finishing touches. Wyeth was something of the Norman Rockwell of Golden Age literature illustrations read by men and boys alike.  He also helped shape the reader’s interpretation of the book and as such Wyeth would read the work thoroughly before doing the first sketches, often picking scenes that were thinly described in the book then adding details and mood of his own to enrich the experience.

Like many American artists, he produced war art during both wars for Liberty Bonds and other causes.

At the height of his success, with several projects underway, museums buying his paintings, and popular success, he was killed in an automobile accident on October 19, 1945, just three days before his birthday.