Derek Wicks Enewsletter for early 2013

PTP - Derek C Wicks Enewsletter Hello art fans, I trust that this new edition of the Enewsletter finds everyone in good health and spirits. It has been a very eventful winter this year at the Wicks homestead, both bitter and sweet. The end of 2012 and the beginning of 2013 saw the passing of two of my favorite people in my life, my father in-law Norm and Mocha my oldest dog of 13 years. Norm had been fighting a cancerous brain tumor for the past year and lost the battle in November, he was only 69…. he will be sorely missed by all. Mocha was 'daddy's little girl, she too lost her battle with stomach cancer early this month. Although both of these are very sad it helps remind us that time is short and we should get every nickel out of the time we have. On a much happier note my wife Suzanne and I have decided to finally build our dream house! Our new house should be finished by mid August and the new studio/gallery finished by the end of the following year. Our present house is up for sale and has never looked so good. Funny how you finally do all the finishing touches you have been meaning to do when you decide to leave! I am hoping to have a grand opening for my new gallery in the spring of 2014. Our new house is only 1/2 kilometer from our present house so all telephone numbers will not change. In this edition of the Enewsletter I have several new announcements and updates so aaawwwaaayyyy we go: • New Workshops in Barrie scheduled • Two new originals & Giclées • What is on the Easel • New Original Art • Two new Power To Paint Videos

Water & Wolf Pup Workshops

My second annual workshops in Barrie, ON are now booked for this June! The first workshop will be on painting rushing water textures and we will be using my piece "Rush" to learn how to create our textures. The second workshop will be learning to paint my piece "King Of The Hill" Wolf Pup. Both workshops are scheduled for June, the water workshop June 7-9, 2013 and the wolf pup workshop on June 28-30. The workshops will be limited to 15 participants each and are on a first come first serve basis. I have set up a full information page for the workshops on my website. I had such a great time with everyone last year and I am really looking forward to painting with everyone again this year! Derek Wicks Barrie Workshops Link.   New Giclée Available My two new pieces 'King Of The Hill' Wolf Pup and 'Forged By Flow' are now available as limited edition giclée reproductions. 'King of the Hill is available as an 8x10 paper and canvas edition. 'Forged by Flow' Is available as a 16x30 paper giclée edition and a 19x36 giclée gallery wrap edition. The gallery wrap edition is limited to only 50 pieces! The 'King Of The Hill' canvas edition will also be available framed in the same seamless gallery frame the original was framed in. Detailed info on both editions is available online in my Derek Wicks Reproductions page.   Forged By Flow My newest completed painting is 'Forged by Flow' waterfall. I have had this painting on my 'to do list' for quite some time now. As usual it always got bumped for another painting, a common occurrence in my studio in years past. 'Forged by Flow' is the painting that has been a catalyst for a major change in philosophy in my studio. I found I was always painting commissioned paintings and trying to create art others liked instead of painting images that inspired me and flowed out of me. Commissions are not a bad thing at all, I just felt that they were hindering the creative process in me. With all the major changes going on in both my personal and professional life I felt it was time for one more change.... I no longer do commissioned work. I felt it was time to go back to my roots and start creating imagery that I experienced and excited me. I wanted to create the work from my past that was born out of experience and developed by the excitement of sharing the moment with others. 'Forged by Flow' has no animal in it, because it does not need one, part of my new philosophy. The days of forcing an animal into a painting because I am a "wildlife artist" are gone. So is the term wildlife artist, I now prefer to think of myself as a nature artist, inspired by all of nature. Sometimes change is a good thing in ones life, for me major change has been long over due! Forged By Flow image here.   New Power To Paint DVD's I am happy to announce that there are two new Power To Paint DVD's in post production right now and should be ready for the end of March beginning of April 2013. Both are 'Start To Finish" dvd's and feature young animals. The first is the step by step creation of "King Of The Hill" Wolf pup, the second is "In My Wake" Duckling and it too is a start to finish dvd. I will post updates on my site and be sending out a release notification to everyone that has selected DVD's on their Enewsletter sign up. If you have any questions on the new dvd's feel free to contact me, here is a link to the Derek Wicks Contact Page.

SEWE 2013 show a great time

Another wonderful year at the SouthEastern Wildlife Expo in Charleston, South Carolina. I had the chance to visit with old friends and new friends and spend a lot of time with show patrons. It is nice to make new friends and see old ones you don't get to see very often. Above is my good friend and new licensing agent Angela Davis and I in my booth posing for our glamour shot. Angela and I have been doing business for the last year over the phone and we finally had a chance to meet at the SEWE show. Turns out we meet about 8 years ago at a licensing show in New York, small world.   Upcoming Events       Algonquin Art Centre Original Art showcase June-Sept 2012 Wolf Pup workshop June 1-3, 2013 St. Albert, AB (780) 418-3488 Contact: Carol Maxwell "Rush" Water Workshop June 7-9, 2013 Barrie, ON (705) 835-5480 Contact: Derek Wicks Wolf Pup Workshop June 28-30, 2013 Barrie, ON (705) 835-5480 Contact: Derek Wicks

New Wolf Painting On The Easel

I am now working on a new wolf painting that has been on my 'to do list' for about 4 years. I have always wanted to paint a dark wolf instead of the traditional multi colour coat. This painting has offered the right setting for a 'mysterious' wolf concept. The composition still needs some punch and I think some mist on the water might help this painting along. I have been toying with some wolves in the background, but each time I add one my instinct keeps telling me this is a lone wolf painting. Have to see who wins out here, my instinct or my tinkering! I will be posting in progress shots on my blog as I go.

My new original for the Celebration of Wildlife Art 2012 in Kenai Alaska is well on its way. I got a little behind last week as I was very sick. We think that I caught a case of the Norwalk virus that is going around, not fun stuff. On a more pleasant note I am back in the full swing of painting again and I am very happy with the way this painting is turning out. I had a little trouble deciding on which way I wanted to approach doing the tree-line, but eventually I focus on one attach and went to town on it. Tomorrow I will start building the trees up and then concentrate on the Totem by weeks end. I will be sure to post more in the next couple of days. I am a little disappointed that I did not film this painting for one of my how to paint DVD, it would have made a perfect “start to finish” title. Oh well, next time. Happy painting everyone.

Later Winter Newsletter

PTP-Derek C Wicks Enewsletter

Looking Forward to Spring

I do not think it matters where you live in this world, we all can agree it has been a very mild winter for us all. Even though this winter has been very mild, I am still ready for spring to come and see the colour to the foliage return. I think it is funny how I love the coming of the winter in November, December and then long to see it go come end of January to the beginning of February. In this Enewsletter there are several exciting updates to tell you about so lets get to it! This email can also be viewed on-line at my blog. Read this Enewsletter on my blog

Whats On The Easel At this point there is actually several paintings that are on the go. First is my painting of the North Shore of Lake Huron. I have been working on this painting here and there between commissioned pieces for some time now and it looks like it will be bumped again for other jobs. The second painting in works is a piece for the Celebration Of Wildlife Art 2012 show in Kenai, Alaska. I have been asked to paint two or three paintings for this show that will run from June 1 to September 3, 2012. The piece I am working on right now is a raven flying through the forest past a Haida totem pole. I have wanted to paint this painting for a long time and I am very happy to have the chance to finally work on it. Be sure to visit my blog regularly over this summer as I will be very busy painting commissions for the Algonquin Show, Michelle & Fidel Singh, Collen & Dave Stewart and plan on posting the progress of each painting every couple of days. To read the first entry of the totem pole painting visit my blog at my wildlife art website. Alaska Research Trip A Go In my last Enewsletter I broke the news of my inclusion in the Alaska research trip to collect reference for the "Visions Of The Boreal Forest" show at the Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian, well I have the itinerary, 6 weeks of hell (lol). I am a member of both the Alpine Team and the Kobuk Team, what can I say, I am a gluten for punishment. This trip is such a once in a lifetime honor and opportunity that I figured I would bite the bullet and push the limits traveling the full 500 miles of the trip. The trip will start with a helicopter drop in the Kobuk Mountain range and end 500 miles down river in Kotzebue Alaska. The trip will range from traveling the alpine rapids by canoe to paddling the Grizzly filled shores of the Kobuk river and end with a maritime paddle of the coast in the Bearing Strait. Below is the simplified itinerary of the trip. 1. July 25: Alpine team put in on Noatak (could be the same or a bit later - Aug 1 - for any of the recon contingency options) 2. August 7: Kobuk team put in on Kobuk at Art Mortvedt's cabin (water level allowing). Secure place to wait for Alpine team 3. August 7-9: Rendezvous 4. August 9-10: Continue downstream on Kobuk: no rapids, no portages 5. August 30: Arrive Kiana, AK 6. September 7 +/-: Arrive Kotzebue, AK 7. September 7 +/-: Return by scheduled air service to Fairbanks, AK 8. September 7+/-: Celebratory dinner Fairbanks, AK 9. September 8 +/-: Return flights to points south Here is a link to a Google maps page that shows the trip stops: Alaska Trip Map. I will also be landing in Alaska a few days early to make an appearance at the Celebration Of Wildlife Art 2012 show in Kenai, Alaska. Making this trip just short of seven weeks long! I can not wait to go, I am like a small child waiting for Christmas! I plan on presenting my trip in a video / slideshow at my studio during the Images Studio Tour. I want the people who have supported me over the years to be the first to see the trip and the ideas I have for the paintings to be made from the research trip. I will post more info closer to the show in October. BARRIE, ON - ART INSTRUCTION WORKSHOP I have received a lot of emails requesting a local workshop in the Barrie, ON area. I am in the process of trying to acquire a space in Barrie to conduct two separate workshops, one on moving water and the other painting "Into The Briar" snow piece. I am hoping to book something in the June to July time frame. If you have any requests on different workshops or would like to be added to the contact list for one or both of these workshops contact me by clicking here. Add what workshop you would be interested in taking in the "comments" area of the contact sheet .Your name , email and phone number are the only other info required. I will post info to both the wildlife art website and the how to paint website as information becomes available. Happy Painting {!firstname}!

Grizzly Cub Painting in Progress by Wildlife Artist Derek C Wicks

I am now half way through my new painting for Fidel & Michelle Singh of a little grizzly cub named "Nu'thin Bruin". The cub was photographed at a reserve in Alaska. I was lucky enough to shot around 100 shots of this little guy with my Canon 70d. I have started the log in which he is resting on and tend to bring out more texture and colour in the final stages. I think I will put a little bit of grass in the background in the end. I little disappointed that I did not film the painting of this original, it would have been a perfect how to paint video for my power to paint art instruction video line. Maybe I will have to do a second one for this painting. I have attached a the image of the in works original painting. I have also posted updates on my wildlife art
website. Happy painting everyone.

New Killarney park - Lake Huron painting

I have spent the last month administrating and not painting, I am going through withdrawal! I Have started a new painting today, a landscape( a little tried of the wildlife scene for now) I have wanted to paint for about two years now. I photographed this rock formation along the coast of Lake Huron up in the Killarney National park area near Sudbury, ON. I love the pattern and Photographed in the rugged Lake Huron shoreline strong compositional lines of the the photo. I will have to punch it up a bit, maybe introduce a repetitive colour to help create a relationship between the fore, middle and background. I will post as I go along. If anyone has any ideas of what they would like to see me paint, just send an email and I will consider painting it! My day to day blog can be viewed at fine art website. Happy painting everyone and have a great summer!!

Derek's wildlife art website.
Derek's how to paint website.

Art Instruction: Using Acetate Overlays

Derek C Wicks 2009 Ducks Unlimited National Art Portfolio

Derek C Wicks 2009 Ducks Unlimited National Art Portfolio

Derek C Wicks discovered the enchanting world of art and nature at the young age of six. Through a junior artist’s kit and the encouragement of his family, Wicks developed his artistic talent and has since become an internationally celebrated wildlife artist.

As a child he would paint pictures of nature that he saw in National Geographic, learning to capture fine details and manipulate subtle elements such as light and shadow. Today, his award-winning work is displayed in private, corporate and public collections worldwide. Wicks’ painting Northern Vigil was selected to join Ducks Unlimited Canada’s 2009 National Art Portfolio.

This limited edition series is available only through DUC fund raising initiatives. The money raised through this program supports DUC’s on-the-ground wetland conservation work, scientific research and education programs.

The Inspiration for Northern Vigil
“White-tailed deer are an everyday sighting in my neck of the woods,” says Wicks. “And, every sighting still thrills me. Most of the sightings are usually the fleeting kind, where all I get in my photograph is the trademark white tail and rump. This painting captures that perfect moment when both man and nature share a glance of fascination with one another. It is in these few moments of experience that my passion and inspiration for art and nature are born.”



The Inspiration for Barn Study
“I love old barns,” says Wicks. “Old barns have so much character and offer such a wide range of artistic presence. I have said to people many times, ‘If only barns could talk!’ Imagine the wonders of time that barn could share with us... they are monuments of history.”

Additional work by Derek C. Wicks
Wicks is a dedicated conservationist and no stranger to Ducks Unlimited Canada. Along with Northern Vigil, his painting Winter Barn was also selected to join the 2009 National Art Portfolio. Additionally, his pieces Setting Out and Fishing the Shallows were recognized in previous years’ collections. The latter received honors as DUC’s Artist of the Year in 2007. View Derek’s wildlife art website and art instruction video websites online.