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WORKING ARTISTS SHOW ANNOUNCED
Event Paints Artist as Everyman The Working Artists Show runs July 2nd through the 31st 2009 in Kennebunk, Maine
KENNEBUNK, ME - The Maine Illustrators’ Collective (MEIC) has announced an art show entitled “Working Artists” slated for July at the Kennebunk Free Library in Kennebunk, Maine. The show highlights the work of many published illustrators and designers with special emphasis on the real work involved in the creative process. Event Coordinator Judith Hunt says that the event seeks to dispel the media-fueled stereotype of commercial artists a financially secure free spirits who practice their craft at their leisure. The Working Artists Show attempts to strip away the veneer and expose not just every brush-stroke, every ink line, but the living breathing being behind the often overlooked but strikingly beautiful creations of commercial artists. “I think it’s important that the public understand that artists are ordinary people with pretty ordinary lives; and that’s OK”, says Hunt. Towards achieving that end, a companion booklet has been developed profiling each of the artists featured in the show. “These biographies are not resumes,” Hunt explained, “We weren’t necessarily interested in credentials. We wanted to know what a typical working day was like for each individual. There are kids to be picked up, pets to feed, just like everyone else”. “And no professional head-shots, either. We wanted honest photographs of artists at work to emphasize that we are real, hard-working people who have a sense of community and contribute like anyone else”. Judith Hunt knows whereof she speaks. In addition to being an acclaimed illustrator, she is an accomplished garden and landscape designer as well as a self-sustaining farmer. Professionally she is currently at work on illustrations for a book about earthquakes and doing research (her passion) on mythology for an upcoming book.
The MEIC is a loosely woven tapestry of artists who gather regularly to commiserate, and celebrate their life’s work. The Working Artists Show runs July 2nd through the 31st, and then moves to Portland. Written for Wilkinson Studios, Inc. by Rick Ewigleben


INDIE PUBLISHERS HONOR CHILDREN’S BOOK
Prunes and Rupe Wins Two "EVVY's"
UPDATE - DENVER, CO - Prunes and Rupe, a lavishly illustrated children’s book by Lydia Griffin, illustrations by Judith Hunt, was honored by the Colorado Independent Publishers Association (CIPA) at the fourteenth annual EVVY Awards Banquet, held March 28 in Denver. The book won 2nd place in the Children’s Book category and garnered 1st place for Judith Hunt’s illustrations in the ‘Tech’ category. EVVY’s are awards in excellence named after CIPA founder Evelyn Kaye and have been presented to independent publishers since 1998. Prunes and Rupe was released in October 2007 by Filter Press Books (see the News and Notes article below).
Prunes and Rupe can be ordered at amazon.com, where you’ll find other works by Judith Hunt. Written for Wilkinson Studios, Inc. by Rick Ewigleben


HEARTWARMER PROMISES PURE GOLD
ILLUSTRATOR COMBINES HISTORY AND ART
PALMER LAKE, CO - Filter Press has announced the publication of Prunes and Rupe, written by Lydia Griffin and Wilkinson Studios’ own Judith A. Hunt. The book is Ms. Hunt’s 15th and is scheduled for release in October of 2007. Prunes and Rupe is based upon the true story of prospector Rupert Sherwood and his burro, Prunes, who worked the gold mines around Fairplay, Colorado, during the late 1800’s. The 32-page lavishly illustrated tale is destined to become an instant family classic with its heartwarming prose and accompanying images. According to Filter Press, “this story will be a favorite for beginning readers and is an excellent read-aloud for parents”.

JUDITH HUNT is an accomplished illustrator whose work has appeared in books, magazines, comic books and on television. She admits to having a special passion for projects that involve a fairly heavy amount of research, a talent she employed during the creation of the art for this story. She has generously agreed to have an image from Prunes and Rupe reprinted as a poster, the proceeds of which will benefit the Park County Public Library Building Fund in Fairplay, Colorado. Ms. Hunt herself resides in Kennebunk, Maine, in a farmhouse she herself is restoring. Written for Wilkinson Studios, Inc. by Rick Ewigleben

WILKINSON STUDIOS GETS TOP HONOR

The Chicago Book Clinic has bestowed their prestigious “Best of Show” trophy to Wilkinson Studios for Princess Polly and the Pea. Wilkinson Studios’ president Christine Wilkinson accepted the 2007 Award of Excellence at the CBC’s annual Book and Media Show held November 8, 2007, in Chicago. The win is significant in that children’s trade books face formidable competition from all facets of the publishing industry.

Princess Polly and the Pea is an innovative pop-up book that showcases the illustrative musings of Wilkinson Studios illustrator, Johanna Hantel. The popular fable was retold by author Laurie Young and published by Piggy Toes Press.

The CBC’s 2007 Book & Media Show is the 56^th annual event to honor outstanding achievement in all aspects of publishing media. Founded in 1936, the Chicago Book Clinic’s mission is to encourage excellence in book and media publishing. For more information on the CBC and its many programs, visit their website, http://www.chicagobookclinic.org/

MY RETURN TO OZ

image RickEwigleben

HOW I GET TO LIVE IN A LAND OF MAKE-BELIEVE ONCE A YEAR

By Rick Ewigleben

CHESTERTON, IN - The Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival, a celebration of the 1939 classic film, is the largest of its kind and attracts hundreds of thousands of fans from every corner of the United States. As part of the festivities scheduled for September 14-16, 2007, I have been invited to appear at the coinciding Munchkinland Market Days at the Yellow Brick Road Gift Shop in Chesterton to showcase the Oz-related images I have created.

For three days each year for the last four years, I get treated like a celebrity. Perhaps being described as "Chicago artist Rick Ewigleben" has a magical ring to it. I don’t know. What I do know is that I have rarely been welcomed with such warmth as when I am greeted by hundreds of adoring "Oz Fans" who show a true appreciation for the art I present.

And I’ve had the good fortune to appear shoulder-to-shoulder with some real luminaries, at least to "Wizard of Oz" devotees. Like John Fricke, a respected historian and Emmy award winner. Or Meinhart Raabe, the tiny, soft-spoken 90-something year-old who played the Munchkin coroner in the 1939 classic. I had a chance to hear him reminisce about his tenure as the original "Little Oscar" for the Oscar Meyer Company. Fascinating.

The real stars are the folks who return year after year, many of them serious collectors of Oz memorabilia (which hopefully includes my stuff). A fellow from neighboring Ohio brings his wife and their four children every year. He boasts of having created a gallery wall at home of the prints I’ve offered for sale (now numbering five). I’m not sure that’s why I became an artist. But it certainly doesn’t hurt.

For more information about Munchkinland Market Days, visit the Yellow Brick Road Online website, http://yellowbrickroadonline.com/


ALMA MATER HONORS ARTIST
LOVE OF ART A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT
EVANSTON, IL - Longtime Wilkinson Studios Illustrator Bill Petersen has recently been recognized with a Vikings of Distinction award by his alma mater, Omaha North High School of Omaha, Nebraska. The Vikings of Distinction program was established to honor graduates who have achieved outstanding success in their chosen professions. Such a distinction aptly describes the career of Bill Petersen.
	Bill, along with four other Omaha North alumni, was introduced at an evening program on May 17 to honor graduating seniors. The following morning, Bill and the others were feted at an all school assembly of 1500 students. The presentation featured video highlights of Bill’s life and career. "The video captured my life long love of drawing and showcased a wide variety of the work I’ve done throughout my 40-some years in the field", observed Bill Peterson in a recent interview. During his trip to Omaha North, Bill had the opportunity to visit the school’s art classes where he exhibited some of his work and answered students’ questions. Bill’s message to students was a simple but powerful one, "We all have talent. It is up to us to find it and use it". The two-day festivities culminated with a banquet on the evening of May 18^th that gathered award recipients, friends, family and faculty members.
Omaha North High is a science, math and arts magnet school, located in what Bill describes as a changing neighborhood. "I can honestly say that the school is better now than it was when I was growing up", Bill said. Bill Petersen lives and works in Evanston, Illinois. Written for Wilkinson Studios, Inc. by Rick Ewigleben


SENSE OF COMMUNITY SETS THE STAGE
	ONE ARTISTS’ NATURAL PROGRESSION BOXBOROUGH, MA - It comes as no surprise to learn how artist Toby Williams spends a portion of his spare time. He’s a set designer for many of his community’s theatrical productions. It seems a natural progression that an artist whose preferred media involves the creation of 3 dimen- sional images should employ those same talents on a much grander scale. And that’s just what he’s been up to: providing breath-taking settings on which local actors can bring their characters to life. Characteristically, Toby Williams’s entry into “show business” was an unassuming one. He created the scenery for Blanchard Elementary School’s 1998 Season’s mounting of “The Trial of the Big Bad Wolf”. Coincidentally, Toby’s daughter, 6th grader Amanda, appeared in the production. Apparently bitten by the show biz bug, Toby has, to date, been instrumental in bringing an additional fifteen plays and musicals to the stage, among them “Peter Pan”, “Once Upon a Mattress”, “My Fair Lady”, “King and I” and “The Wizard of Oz”. The process by which stage sets are ultimately realized is a collaborative one. In the case of Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, one of Toby’s clients, a production is selected by director Linda Potter, with an assist by long-time friend and consultant Susan Williams (Toby’s wife) and sometimes even Toby himself. Toby sketches as he reads the script.
Illustrator/Set Designer Toby assists volunteer.
Those sketches are translated into miniature set pieces that are then placed in “Linda’s Dollhouse”, a scale model of the stage, for the director’s approval. Volunteers provide the labor for the actual set construction, an occasionally Herculean task considering that their completion deadline is usually just five weeks away. During construction Toby appears to be the glue that holds the whole endeavor together, making sure each volunteer has what he or she needs to be most effective. Toby says he has been especially grateful to have the expertise of professional carpenters and structural engineers over the years. “If I can dream it, they can do it”. He mentions in particular the challenge of “flying” performers across the stage in “Peter Pan”. Toby Williams is quick to acknowledge the efforts of fellow artist, Wayne Geehan, who renders the striking backdrops and many of the set pieces. “It’s remarkable. He works with cans of regular latex house paint to produce these amazing images. I may have provided Wayne with the vision, but he’s the one who breathes life into my sketches”, Toby said. The two recently collaborated to create a castle that “broke-out” beyond the stage’s 50-foot proscenium for “Once Upon A Mattress”. What is it that attracts Toby Williams to return again and again to set design when surely there must be an easier, more lucrative sideline for an accomplished artist such as he? “Community. An artist’s life can be a bit solitary. This gets me away from the drawing board and out meeting all kinds of terrific people. It’s certainly not the kind of thing that will make you rich”, replies Toby. Really? Sounds like the kind of thing Toby Williams would do for free. Written for Wilkinson Studios, Inc. by Rick Ewigleben

Completed set for “Once Upon A Mattress” designed by Toby Williams


Wilkinson Studios, Inc. marks 8th Anniversary
	8 YEARS ‘A GREAT BEGINNING’ Wilkinson Studios staffers, clients and artists alike gathered recently in Chicago to celebrate the company’s 8th Anniversary. Well-wishers enjoyed cocktails and hors d’oeuvres on Tuesday, May 1, at Venus Chicago, a popular West Loop eatery and nightspot. On hand to greet their invited guests were Wilkinson Studios’ president and founder, Christine Wilkinson, and her staff, including Wilkinson veterans Lisa O’Hara and Martha Vaccarella. Among the artists’ community in attendance were numerous locals as well as out-of-towners Wendy Rasmussen of Pennsylvania and Rowan Barnes-Murphy of Dorchester, Great Britain. As part of the festivities, a drawing was held to award original works of art created by Wilkinson Studios’ Micha Archer and Paula Zinngrabe Wendland. Those names drawn were local clients Steven Curtis (of Steven Curtis Design, Chicago) and Sean O’Neill (of Ronan Design, Chicago).
	When asked for her reaction to her company’s eight year milestone, Christine Wilkinson said, “It’s absolutely fabulous; the way we’ve grown in such a short time. And I think it’s due, in large part, to the clients and artists we’ve been so fortunate to work with.” Does she care to comment on Wilkinson Studios’ future? “I would prefer not to, except to say that we’ve done a pretty good job recognizing and reacting to our clients’ needs. Our future lies in anticipating ever-changing industry demands. Let’s just say this is a great beginning.” Written for Wilkinson Studios, Inc. by Rick Ewigleben



	RICHARD STERGULZ of Murrieta, California, has been chosen to participate in the Oil Painters of America’s 16th National Juried Exhibition of Traditional Oils, which will take at Whistle Pik Galleries, May 11 – June 8, 2007, in Fredericksburg, Texas. His painting entitled: “DELILAH” was one of only two hundred paintings selected from over eleven hundred entries from across the United States, Canada and Mexico. Richard is an Illinois native who by the age of eight knew he wanted to be an artist. He graduated from the American Academy of Art in Chicago in 1983 which began his successful commercial art career. After 12 years of doing commercial art, Richard felt it was time to fine tune his fine art style. Richard moved to California in 1995 and started painting for himself in a realistic style with a touch of Russian impressionism. Mr. Stergulz will be vying for several awards including the Oil Painters of America’s prestigious American National Award of Excellence, the top prize valued at $15,000. Founded in 1991, Oil Painters of America’s mission is to advance the cause of traditional, representational fine art.
Dedicated to preserving and promoting excellence in representational art, OPA’s primary focus is to draw attention to the lasting value of fine drawing, color, composition and the appreciation of light. For more information, visit the OPA website at: http://www.oilpaintersofamerica.com