Witzel Art Retrospective

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How a native Buffalonian spent 85 of 90 years doing ART rjw ROBERT J. WITZEL RETROSPECT SHOW 1917

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BORN… Buffalo Deaconess Hospital LIVED… Brewster St ATTENDED… Blessed Trinity School

As a child, I was always drawing. : 

As a child, I was always drawing. 1924 The seed

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as a sophomore in BENNETT high school I felt ART was my career path 1931 -1936

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SUMMER SCHOOL Figure drawing class

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1936 GRADUATED BENNETT HIGH Accomplishments: I designed the class year book… won city wide poster contest… etc … etc …

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A free WPA Project … I studied with top American painters. Buffalo Art Institute 1936-38

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Oil Painting …Tony Sisti Instructor

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With Beaucheit, O’neil & Sanderson I washed paint pots… ran errands… filed reference clippings… had my own work table… observed skilled illustrators and designers at work NIGHT SCHOOL – studied drawing and sculpture classes Apprenticeship 1938

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JACK FOY ADVERTISING AGENCY Worked on successful SNOOPY SNIFFER TOY promotion started painting landscapes en plein aire First Art Jobs 1938-39 WINDOW CRAFT DISPLAY HOUSE

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Grand Island Lighthouse

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Art School Studied: ILLUSTRATION DESIGN Pratt Institute 1939 - 1941

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Pratt Institute Study of action on human figures

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Pratt Institute Black and White Illustration

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Composition studies Pratt Institute

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Portraits study Pratt Institute

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FICTION HOUSE PUBLISHING CO… [NYC] Back to Buffalo, NY BBD&O ADVERTISING AGENCY… NATIONAL GYPSUM CO as ART DIRECTOR Back to Work World 1941-43

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Illustrated adventure comic strips in NYC

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US ARMY AIR CORP Set Up Camouflage Schools… Painted Dioramas, Training Aids, Booby Trap Houses. CHATHAM AIR BASE ARTIST Painted Murals, Illustrated Publications … SOUTH PACIFIC A.D. Printing Operation in Manila … Watercolors W W II 1943 - 1946

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THEATER MURAL CHATHAM AIR BASE

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GOING TO SOUTH PACIFIC….. Watercolor study of wake….

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BATTA my house boy in Phillipines WW II

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SOUTH PACIFIC – typical air strip on islands

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MANILA – walled city ruins

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NATIONAL GYPSUM CO. ART DIRECTOR Back to Work 1946 - 1952

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As corporate art director, I created an art department, designed and illustrated advertising for printed pieces. [scratchboard drawing]

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MINIATURE OIL LANDSCAPE

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Illustration 1953 - 1988 OPENED DESIGN STUDIO

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STUDIO PROMOTIONS … OPENING MAILINGS FOLLOW-UPS … MONOTYPES ... SEASON’S GREETINGS

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Annual reports …

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BARBIE Also documented family growing up

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ROZANNE

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EUROPE … CARIBBEAN … CANADA … Paintings shown and sold at the end of tours. HOLIDAY ART… Travel

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Dubrovnik Old City – May Day EUROPE

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Caribbean Cruise

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BEBO Old and newer Dubrovnik, Yugoslavia

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National IBM, GEN. ELECTRIC, 3M, SOUTHWESTERN PUBLISHING … Local ADV. AGENCIES, PRINTERS, JW CLEMENTS, BAKER JONES AND HAUSAUER … Industries FISHER PRICE, PRATT & LAMBERT, DL HAND CLEANER CO. … Film TV STUDIOS, AUDIO VISION … CLIENTS

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Travel 1988 CLOSED STUDIO

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WEST Painted lots of Montana river scapes in my pursuit of Trout and rugged beauty.

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WEST Montana’s Madison River

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Quiet shoreline on Martha’s Vineyard Watercolor … EAST

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Canada - favorite summer cottage NORTH

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SOUTH Midday Key West

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FLORIDA KEYS 1986 - 2001 President of Keys Watercolor Society

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Cormorant Society …

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Don’t Jump in the Boat FL. KEYS Tarpon

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My Tarpon Series of Watercolors

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FL. KEYS

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CURRENT WORK I paint only what stirs my heart…..

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GIRL TALK

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POOL LOVERS It pays to swim laps for exercise….

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CHILDREN FEEDING THE GULLS 22”x 30” watercolor

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LOW KEY JAZZ

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FLUTIST

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ABSTRACT DANCE I enjoy the beauty of the movement and strength expressed …

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SMOOTH SWING My love for this game inspired this work…

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DRIVE FOR SHOW …

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PUTT FOR DOUGH

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… KATHLEEN

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BIRD MAN PORTRAITS

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ARTS …

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ABSTRACTIONS …

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ABSTRACTIONS …

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STILL LIFE BLACK EYED SUSANS

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STILL LIFE

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RAFTING ON 22”x 30” watercolor

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MISTY MORNING … was juried into a national sports show in NYC

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BREEZY WALK Regional … East

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Exhibits * 1945 Manila Philippines * 1946 National Gypsum Co. Headquarters 1992-2000 Florida Keys Watercolor Society 1992-2000 Key West * 2002 Ithaca, N. Y. * 2003-2006 A.E. Backus Gallery, Ft. Pierce, Florida 2003-2007 Stuart, FL: Elliott Museum, Martin County Cultural Center, Habitat for Humanity Show, Martin County Art Associates Show * 2008 The Grant Street Gallery Many Art Markets * One man shows

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Florida Keys Watercolor Society Award

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I paint only what stirs my heart…..

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Past President Buffalo Artist Guild Past President Buffalo Art Directors Club Past President Florida Keys Watercolor Society Won numerous awards in watercolor shows …. My work is currently displayed in many private and corporate collections in USA, Canada, Europe … In Addition…