From Linda Lee Greene, Author/Artist
It is an easy guess that because last spring was a bust in every respect, like me, hordes of people have jumped the gun in terms of spring planting this year. The weather people warn of a freeze descending on us from the west this evening, possibly 2” to 3” of snow in the mix all through tomorrow. A couple cups of coffee, two slices of toast, and a bit of early morning writing on a new book under my belt, I will spend a good portion of the rest of my morning hauling my newly-planted container gardens into the house and covering those in the ground with bed sheets and towels. I do not despair too much, however, for, as an alternative to my garden, I will feast my eyes on artwork executed by my favorite contemporary artist.
Edith Dinger Wadkins is not only a master of fine art, she
is also expert at book cover design and illustrations for any type of literary
work. She has done two book covers for me, as well as illustrations for my book
for young readers, and soon will go to work for me on yet another book cover.
It is my great pleasure to introduce you to her on my blog today. I hope you
will stop by and say hello. –Linda Lee Greene, Author/Artist
***
Edith Dinger Wadkins is a
theatrical artist, fine artist, children's book illustrator, and book cover
designer/formatter. She rarely spends a day without negotiating one art medium
or another in her home studio. She's a successful theatrical designer and
scenic painter with over 20 years of experience and hundreds of shows to her
credit. She has worked on plays, musicals, and other performances in almost
every Central Ohio professional theatre and in many of its educational
institutions, and other venues.
She is also an avid Plein Air
painter with a passion and curiosity for fine art. She has participated in
workshops with pastel portrait artist Sandy Reddig. She spent two years at
Cooley Studios studying under Michael Cooley, where she learned to draw and
paint in the academic tradition. She has received many awards, including a Best
in Show Ribbon at the Ohio State Fair for Creative Arts (2011) and a Best in
Show Ribbon at Grove City, Ohio's Arts in the Alley (2019).
Edith and her husband Andy are
wildlife fanatics and birders, and for many years Edith has participated in and
supported the annual Federal Duck Stamp competition and the Ohio Wetlands Stamp
competition. She edited a wildlife coloring book, "Rare Creatures in Your
Backyard" for Grove City Arts Council, where she was a board member for
six years.
Edith illustrated (cover and
interior illustrations) the 2016 children's book, Rooster Tale by
Linda Lee Greene. Edith’s work was featured in a solo exhibition at Salt Kettle
Gallery in Salineville, Ohio. Westerville Parks & Recreation hosted another
public solo exhibition of her work in 2019 at Westerville (Ohio) Community
Center. After the advent of COVID-19, she launched The Artist Table,
a vlog series in partnership with Westerville Parks & Recreation,
comprising 10 vlogs, each teaching a painting or drawing technique. She holds a
Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design and Technology from Otterbein
University.
This past spring her article
was featured in an article in Columbus
Underground by Elizabeth Saltzgiver. Copy/paste the following link to check
it out: https://www.columbusunderground.com/columbus-makes-art-presents-scenic-artist-and-painter-edie-wadkins
Most recently she was part of
the Studios on High new artist show "Hit the Hop," and was featured
in an article in Columbus Alive
written by Joel Oliphant. Copy/paste the link to it here: https://www.columbusalive.com/entertainment/20201006/exploring-our-fragile-world-through-art
Originally from the rural
foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, she now resides in Grove City, Ohio
with her husband and their very spoiled cat.
In the following paragraphs,
Edith explains in her own words her execution of three of her paintings:
These are gladiolas. I painted this from a photograph because I didn’t have time to do it justice before the flowers wilted. It was painted one flower at a time; the last touches were the rainbows coming through the vase. My high school theatre teacher and mentor George M. Donaldson gave my husband and me this vase as a wedding present. George never got to see the painting before he unexpectedly passed away about a year ago. I am told by a friend that gladiolas mean remembrance, so this painting has many meanings to me.
It won best in show at the Grove City, Ohio’s annual Arts in the Alley in 2019. $1500.00
This painting is titled “Let
Them Eat Cake.” It features echinacea (North American coneflower) used in
herbal medicines and American goldfinches, two native species in Ohio. The
somewhat curt title refers to the way we sometimes view our immediate
environment. Lawns, houses, non-native plants and trees all disrupt our natural
ecosystem. It feels as if we like to brush off this fact with a dismissive “let
them eat cake” by setting aside a few acres of park land and continuing to
brazenly do what we wish even if it disrupts the lives of the creatures that
were here before us.
This is one of a series of paintings featuring native wildlife and plants that will be entered into national competitions. $2500.00
This painting was part of a series of daily paintings I did in the month of January, 2021. The cupcake was from Capital City Cakes, a Grove City, Ohio bakery. The flowers are red carnations, which were my grandmother’s favorite. The pearl necklace was added to the painting the week of the inauguration of Kamala Harris, our first female Vice President. She apparently wears a pearl necklace to important events in her life. $250.00
Website: https://www.edithdingerwadkins.com/
Books by Linda Lee Greene are available for purchase at Amazon.com
Purchase Link: https://tinyurl.com/jhysys9h
#FloralPaintings, #StillLifePaintings, #PleinAir, #FineArt, #BookCoverDesign, #BookCoverFormatting, #LiteraryIllustrations, #EdithDingerWadkins, #RoosterTale, #LindaLeeGreene
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