Inspiration in the studio - Bill Maudlin

Bill Maudlin 1921-2003

Long before I ever had an interest in drawing and painting, other than the normal interest that most children seem to have, my grandmother gave me a present of "The Brass Ring" by Bill Maudlin (1921-2003).  It was in 1972 - I was seven years old.  Far too young to read and understand the book - but I loved the cartoons and "read" the book again and again over the years.  I have no idea what possessed my Nana to get this book for me - but I'm so glad that she did!

Although I also had no sense of the horrors of war nor any of the amazement that someone involved in combat could express the feelings and emotions of the "average" "Willie and Joe ( combat infantry)" through cartoons.  However,  I did have an appreciation for his sense of humor even then.    These are a couple of my favorite.  I've had a number of cars like the jeep on the right below.

I've not read any other of Bill Mauldin's books, but will certainly do so, nor have I studied his cartoons from an artistic sense - at least not consciously.  Non the less, he's been an inspiration to me.  The Brass Ring is one of the most worn books in my collection - and I rarely read a book more than once.  This book covers Bill Maudlin's early years in Arizona through the end of WW II.

I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in World War Two and in the arts.

One of his most famous cartoons was of Lincoln mourning the assassination of John F. Kennedy

Artists in Studio - Charles LaSalle

I find artist studios fascinating (not that I've been too many in person).  I was looking through some photos of Charlie La Salle at work in his studio in Scottsdale AZ @ 1958 and I found my eye eventually drawn away from the large oil Charlie was working on to the tantalizing glimpses of other paintings and artifacts that Charlie had around his studio.  I wondered about the stories behind each of them.  One of the pictures is below along with a painting by Charlie of his neighbor and one of his closest friends in Arizona - Larry "speed" Richardson.

I also wonder how (or if) an artist's studio reflects the artist, their personality, their working methods.  I think the artists studio must be a reflection of the artist - whether consciously or not.

I then took a quick look around my studio and noticed some of the items that I had around me for inspiration - ranging from mementos from family, close loved ones, as well as professional artists, some of whom took some of their incredibly valuable time to meet and to encourage me on my journey as well as a few I knew only through some of their books and artwork.  The artists that I'll be posting about in the near future include the nationally and internationally known artists:  Charles LaSalle, Robert George Harris, John Stobart, Bill Maudlin, Aiden Lassell Ripley, and Walt Disney.

I'll also be sharing more about those artists that I've been lucky enough to know and love in person and who have enriched my life immeasurably including Aiden LaSalle, Ed LaSalle, Cathy Kahler, and my wife Julie.

Charles LaSalle (Lassell) 1894-1958 - Scottsdale AZ - 1958

Charles LaSalle - A portrait of his neighbor and friend - Speed Richardson

Prints of this were published by Arizona Highways in the 1970's

According to newspaper articles from the 40's as well as interviews with Charlies surviving friends and co-workers his studio was always neat and well organized.  Without a doubt, some of this was necessary for him to be able to juggle the responsibilities of meeting multiple deadlines for illustration work - as he was one of the top contributors to many national magazines (Saturday Evening Post, Liberty, Colliers and many more)  from the 1920's through the 1950's as well as for national advertising accounts for Ford, General Electric, United Airlines and more.  If he'd been disorganized in this sense, despite his clear talent, he would not have been able to meet the necessary deadlines and this would have undoubtedly reduced the high demand for his work.

Some artists prefer to work alone and go to great lengths not to be disturbed. Charlie was not one of those artists.  Charlie moved to New York and shared a studio in the Beaux Art Studio with his life long friend and fellow illustrator Harold Anderson. While this may have started out as a cost saving strategy, the two later shared a studio in Westport Connecticut when they were both highly successful and nationally known.   Socializing was a huge part of the illustration business, but for Charlie it was very much part of his personality.  Gregarious seems to be understatement when used to describe Charlie and his fascination with people and life in general.  He enjoyed company in his studio, friends and family were always welcome.  Jazz music was likely to be playing.  His studio was filled with props related to the subjects he was painting and he would talk while working.  He would also go out of his way to help younger artists get started in the business or with any challenges they were facing with their artwork as he had been helped in his early days by the likes of N.C. Wyeth and Harvey Dunn. Charlie worked in oils, casein, gouache, charcoal, and watercolor.

Charlie moved to Scottsdale Arizona in the early 50's for health reasons and his work focused on his life long passion for the West.   He'd suffered a heart attack and he'd hoped the move would grant him another ten years with his wife and daughters.  Sadly, that was not to be the case.  Charlie suffered a second heart attack while he was painting in his studio in December of 1958.  He was conscious and alert when the ambulance arrived, but he passed away before reaching the hospital.

Charlie died seven years before I was born, but he has been and continues to be an inspiration to me.  More about that at another time.