The image at right, "Cougar" (Felis concolor) has been jury selected to the 2008 GNSI Annual Members' Exhibit, this year held at the Hartell Gallery in Sibley Hall on the Cornell University campus, Ithaca, NY. The exhibit will be on display July 14 - July 26, 2008. The opening reception will be July 21, 7-9 p.m. Scratchboard/watercolor; 11" x 14".
Selected to "Zion National Park Centennial Art Exhibit: A Century of Sanctuary"
The painting at left, "The Virgin River, Late Afternoon Light" has been jury selected to Zion National Park's "A Century of Sanctuary" exhibit to be held at the St. George Art Museum, Utah, in celebration of Zion's first 100 years. The show opens August 23, 2008 and will run through January 24, 2009, after which time it will travel through the U.S. for the remainder of 2009. Acrylic, 12" x 16".
Selected to 2007-08 "Paint the Parks" Top 100 Exhibit
The image at right, "Hopi Point" (Grand Canyon National Park) is part of the first annual "Paint the Parks" exhibit. The show is for artists working in subject matter specific to U.S. National Parks. To see the entire juried Top 100 selections, please visit www.paintamerica.org . Acrylic on panel, 12" x 16".
Portfolio samples are presented as "thumbnails" (left sidebar above). Simply click on an image to view a larger version. All images are owned by the clients indicated, or myself. Please respect all copyrights and ownership, and do not use these images under any circumstances, without permission. There is no free clipart on the website.
Contact: If you would like to discuss a project, request a quote, or have any questions or comments, you can contact me via email at rickwheeler_1@msn.com or by phone at 520.743.8559. Mailing address: P.O. Box 3171, Tubac, AZ 85646.
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Classes/Workshops for 2008:
1) Mentor, Prescott College, Tucson, AZ. This is an ongoing position, where I teach drawing, painting, and illustration.
2) "Scratchboard/Watercolor: Concentration on Birds" - Art Institute Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, October 24, 25, 26, 2008. This 3-day workshop meets from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday thru Sunday. To learn more visit www.desertmuseum.org.
3) "Quick Draw" - Art Institute Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, November 21, 22, 23, 2008. This 3-day workshop meets 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday thru Sunday. The workshop will focus on field sketching on the museum grounds, using small watercolor pads or blocks (5x7" or 7x10", etc.) pencil, pen & ink, colored pencils, and watercolor. The workshop will concentrate on field sketching as a way to journal while traveling, as well as quick studies for ideas that might become finished paintings. To learn more visit www.desertmuseum.org . Recent Projects & Events:
1) Invited to participate in the inagaural Grand Canyon Celebration of Art. This event includes an art exhibit for the 20 invited artists, to be held at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon from Sept. 14-18, 2009.
2) Moab Music Festival program design/production, Canyonlands Advertising, Moab, Utah.
3) Tucson Musicians Museum, program design/production, Tucson, AZ.
4)Product label for the Fiery Furnace Roasting Company, a coffee bean roasting company owned by Arches Book Company, Moab, Utah (please visit the "Packaging" page to view the label).
5) Scratchboard/watercolor commission of the Grand Tetons for a private party (please visit "Scratchboard" page).
Bio:
Education/Experience: Originally from California, I have lived in the Four Corners region of the desert southwest since 1994. I have been an illustrator and graphic designer for more than 25 years. I hold a B.A. degree in Fine Art, with a minor in Integrative Studies, from Prescott College, Arizona. I also hold an Associate of Arts degree in Graphic Design. Part of my education also included time at two of San Francisco's finest art schools - the San Francisco Art Institute and the Academy of Art University. At the S.F.A.I., where I was awarded a scholarship to attend, the focus was on drawing and painting. At the Academy of Art, it was illustration. Each school had a distinctive approach to education, the S.F.A.I. emphasizing "fine art", the Academy "commercial art". Both approaches proved valuable, and helped broaden my perspectives into the art world.
Two teachers I would like to mention who heavily influenced my art education are figurative painter, Kent Rupp, who, as a master draftsman, taught me everything I know about drawing, and Wally Hedrick (1928-2003) - an important figure in the San Francisco art scene and "beat era" of the 1950's - who by example taught me the value of living true to one's vision and ideals.
Although much of my work in recent years has been for the National Parks and Monuments and the outdoor adventure/eco-tourism industry, I have completed projects for a variety of clients with varied needs. These include book & magazine publishers, educational institutions, technology companies, the wine industry, arts organizations, non-profits, as well as other design firms and advertising agencies.
Illustration: techniques include 1) scratchboard and scratchboard/watercolor, 2) watercolor/mixed media, 3) pen & ink, and 4) digital imaging (please visit the "Fine Art" section to see examples of oils, acrylics, drawings, and mixed media) Design: for print media, including logos, ad design, brochures, posters, signage, etc.
Partial client list: Abercrombie & Kent/Sheri Griffith Expeditions, Arches National Park, Association of Partners for Public Lands, Canyonlands Advertising, Canyonlands Natural History Association, Castle Creek Winery, Cobalt Fine Arts Gallery, Country Jam USA, Environmental Technology Center/Sonoma State University, Glen Ellen Winery, Glacier National Park, Grand Canyon Association, Hovenweep National Monument, Joshua Tree National Park, JW Morris Winery, Karin Newby Gallery, KC Publications, Men's Journal, Mesa Verde National Park, Moab Folk Festival (Canyonlands Advertising), Moab Music Festival, National Geographic Society, National Parks Conservation Association, Optical Coating Lab, Inc.(OCLI), Oregon Zoo (Portland), Patagonia, Pinnacles National Monument, Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, Red Cliffs Lodge, Rocky Mountain Peanut Butter, Santa Rita Lodge, Sequoia Natural History Association, Tucson Musicians Museum, U.S. Marine Corps (Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Division), USS Arizona Memorial National Park, Virgin River Land Preservation Association, Windsor Vineyards, Yosemite Association, Zion National Park & Zion Natural History Association
Other sites where my work can be seen include www.natureartists.com (Artists for Conservation Foundation, of which I'm a member) and as a 12-year member of the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators www.science-art.com/rickarts. I am also currently a member of the Society of Illustrators www.societyillustrators.org , the Tubac Center of the Arts www.tubacarts.org , and the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum www.desertmuseum.org , where I teach again in the Fall, 2008.
Gallery Representation: Galleries currently representing my work: Los Reyes Gallery and Artist's Workshop Center - Tubac, AZ (520) 398-9222 - www.losreyes.com Overlook Gallery - Moab, UT (435) 259-3861
Please revisit, as I update the site frequently. Thank you.
