> 2008 Winter/Spring
Show Schedule
Events over the last year or so have in many ways altered Yvonne's and my priorities in life. Namely the death of my brother-in-law, Bob. His passing has caused us to rethink what it is we want from life and how we are going to obtain these goals. Priority number one has always been family, but Bob's death has made us realize that we are no longer content living hundreds of miles from them and only visiting a few times a year.
I am also now even more focused on my becoming a better artist, both creatively and in the business sense, and feel that it is time to begin getting my work into galleries I feel can help me in those areas.
One never knows how long one has to achieve those things in life they aspire to. It is with this fact in mind that we have decided to relocate closer to my family and move back home (at least for me) to Phoenix, Arizona. I truly love Colorado and I know I will certainly miss it. But being closer to those we care about should take precedence and I can always come back to Colorado for a visit.
Regarding my career, Phoenix brings great opportunity. First, I remember that when I was younger, I didn't appreciate the beauty of the desert as I do now. Coming back I can now go out and attempt to capture that beauty on canvas anytime I wish (or at least when it's under 100 degrees outside). Second, some of the galleries I would like to see representing my work are located in Scottsdale and I hope to convince a few of them to do just that — carry my work : ). And finally, a number of my favorite artists live here in Arizona and I hope to get the opportunity to meet some of them. I've found that most artists, including myself, are very open to finding new artist friends and I believe I will find some here as well.
In moving to Phoenix, Yvonne and I are sacrificing much, namely our newly built home that we love. It's now up for sale. We will miss that home. But sacrifice should always be measured against the opportunities that reaching one's goals may provide. And we certainly feel that getting to spend more time with our families, and the opportunities offered here in Arizona regarding my career, definitely outweigh the sacrifice of leaving our home in Colorado.
DUSTIN VAN WECHEL TO TEACH AN OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP
As part of a special two consecutive weekends of oil painting workshops, Dustin Van Wechel will be teaching Intermediate Oil Painting at the Graham Gallery in Hastings, NE. This workshop begins Friday, May 30th and goes through Sunday, June 1st.
Also, Sunday, June 1st, Dustin will lead attending workshop students in a plein air painting event to benefit the Prairie Lofts Education Facility in Hastings, NE. Paintings produced at this event will be auctioned at 3pm Sunday afternoon. Students participating in painting en plein air will receive instruction on painting on location from life with emphasis on the importance of painting from direct observation.
Please contact Angela Graham at the Graham Gallery for more information on this exciting and unique workshop.
Angela Graham: 402-463-2555
A VERY SPECIAL THANKS TO THOSE AT SEWE
I would like to thank all those that made this my best showing to date at SEWE. Thanks to the fine staff that again did a tremendous job of orchestrating such a large event. Thanks to all of the artists who consistantly make my time there so enjoyable. And especially, thanks to all of the wonderful art patrons who continue to make the show a success.
This year, for the first time, I participated in a quickdraw
event — SEWE's first. In this particular case, the painting had to be completed in one hour. It was truly a lot of fun and I look forward to participating again next year. Click the image at the left to see me with the small painting I completed. www.sewe.com2008 SHOW SCHEDULE
Southeastern Wildlife Expo
February 15th — 17th
Charleston, South Carolina
www.sewe.com
Solo Exhibition: The Colorado Springs School
April 4th — 20th
Colorado Springs, Colorado
www.css.org
San Dimas Festival Arts' Western Art Reflections of Nature NEW WEB SITE
Exhibition and Sale
April 25th — 27th
San Dimas, California
www.sandimasarts.com
May 3rd & 4th
Fallbrook, California
www.fallbrookart.org
As a much overdue update, The Art of Dustin Van Wechel web site has been completely redesigned, loaded with new work, trip journals and coming soon, a list of galleries that carry Dustin's work. Enjoy.
VAN WECHEL INVITED TO JURY PASTEL JOURNAL 100 COMPETITION
Having been a previous winner, Dustin is tremendously honored and excited to be included as a juror for the wildlife category in the 2008 competition.
THE TRAGIC LOSS OF ROBERT BOARDMAN
I write this with deep sorrow and much difficulty. The reality of what has happened is still impossible for me to wrap my head around. My grief spills out in waves — alternating from debilitating, to a kind of empty numbness that allows me to function semi-normally, but always with a hole in the pit of my stomach.
So here I sit, facing the computer’s screen and pouring out my thoughts about someone very dear to me. About an event that still, after more than a week, dwells seemingly in the surreal. At times it feels like someone else’s tragedy. And at other times, this nightmare is all too much ours.
On May 19th, Robert Boardman was killed when the crop dusting plane he was flying crashed near the town of Tyndall, South Dakota. He’d been spraying a field about five miles away from the crash site and was likely returning to the airport. It is believed that his plane went down due to severe weather conditions.
For those of you who regularly visit my site, you may have read the one “Trip Journal” entry in “The Artist” section. As that entry describes, Bob was my travel companion on our many excursions into the wilds of North America. He joined me on nearly all of them. Spending so much time with an “artist”, it wasn’t long before the creative bug bit Bob and he began photographing the animals and landscapes we encountered. His photographic skills and artistic eye developed quickly and over the last fours years, Bob had produced some truly beautiful images. His work recently culminated into his first solo exhibition of original photographs at the Graham Gallery in Hastings, NE. In my mind I can still see him beaming at the opening reception as he presented his photographs to the public for the first time. I can’t describe the feeling of knowing I played a part in Bob finding something he grew to love with so much passion and determination. I absolutely believe he was on his way to being a truly great nature photographer and my thoughts of what might have been are all the more bittersweet for it.
Bob was more to me than just a travel companion. He was more than just my brother-in-law. Put simply, he was my close friend. We were alike in a number of ways and our connection was strong from the moment I first met him. I take a certain comfort in understanding that I was one of only a handful of people who got to know the real Bob. Not just the polite, generous and genuine Bob that so many got to meet, but also the endearingly quirky Bob, the hysterically funny Bob and the incredibly intelligent Bob. He, like myself, could have a rather dark sense of humor at times and I can remember that on a number of occasions Bob had me laughing so hard I thought I would vomit. It’s a strange irony that those times would bring tears of sorrow now rather than tears of laughter.
I wish I had one more day — maybe even just one more trip with Bob. Knowing he will no longer be there is a devastating reality I’m not yet prepared to face. And that feeling is all the more brutal when coupled with the pain I know his family is enduring.
His children, his wife, his parents and brother and sister, his extended family and his friends — we all share in this loss and I know that all those that knew Bob will deeply miss him.
I will miss him.
This world is a lesser place without Bob.
In closing, I would like to invite all of you to please visit Bob’s web site. There you can learn just a little bit more of my brother-in-law — my friend. Also, a fund has been established for his children’s education. All proceeds from the sale of his work will be contributed to this fund. You may also donate to this fund if you like. You can do so by visiting:
