FRED WILSON, III
Winfield, Iowa - Class of 1962
Prescott Valley, Arizona watercolor impressionist paints life into his work.

.............................................................................Courier/Jo. L. Keener

By RACHELLE BUMP/The Daily Courier, Prescott Valley, PRIME TIME, Friday, October 25, 2002

Fred Wilson appreciates the beauty of life and captures its splendor in each stroke of the brush as he creates his watercolor paintings.

Wilson found that painting was his true passion at a very young age, when he began drawing the covers of his comic books.

"I just was always doodling," he said. "I never took a lesson, I was just driven. I just taught myself."

Wilson grew up on a farm east of Winfield, Iowa and said he knew farming wasn't for him. His grandfather died when his father was just 13, leaving him to run the farm.

"Dad had a touch with the soil," Wilson said. "I knew there was something else out there for me."

Wilson, 58, spent his life as a furniture salesman and interior designer, and said when he moved to Arizona 18 years ago that the need to become an artist "really just came to the forefront."

He lived in Scottsdale and began going to art galleries in the area. He went to a gallery that Harold Lyon, a famous Western artist, owned, and got monthly lessons from him. When Wilson showed Lyon and other artists his work, he said, "I wanted them to be brutal. My feelings weren't hurt. I listened to the artists and read about some of the old masters."

In his small home studio, Wilson has a bookshelf packed with books on famous artists including Michelangelo and Claude Monet, and a small collection of books on Russian Impressionism.

"I love Russian Impressionism," he said. "Now that they have freedom, we're seeing Russian work that's been tucked away for 40 and 50 years."

He enjoys these paintings because "they will trick your eye. They don't get caught up in details. They use vibrant colors and they paint life. We're not seeing the oppressed life. They capture the soul of the average Russian person's life."

Wilson has always done oil paintings, and recently taught himself the art of watercolors.

"I'm sure I do it all wrong according to pure watercolor people," he said. "They get big brushes and soak the papers and let the colors bleed. I tried it, and I can't do it."

Instead Wilson uses a lot of water and only a few colors for each painting, and "Whatever the paper gives me, the paper gives me. Watercolor gives me the impressionist flow."

He doesn't spend any time planning what he is going to paint because "If I try to plan it, it comes out horrible. It's just a lot of trial and error. I have to learn on every single one, and some of them are keepers. If I don't like it, I rip it up. I have no lost love for it."

Wilson works on several pieces of work at a time because "it's like interior design. If everything in the room matches, it's boring. My work is the same way."

When Wilson begins a watercolor painting, he said he makes one stroke on the canvas and he begins there. He doesn't know where that one stroke will lead him, and he never knows what it will turn out to be.

He is able to do this because he listens to music, and the mood of the music determines what he will create. He has a CD player and radio next to his work area, and said, "I have everything from Pink Floyd, to Queen, to Meatloaf to Beethoven. I play music to help myself relax and crate. I choose music that suits my mood, and my mood matches the art. I can get lost in my music."

One of Wilson's favorite saying is, "Good art and good music is comfort food for the soul."

One brush stroke leads to the next, and many times Wilson paints a picture of landscapes and scenery. "Some people don't realize and appreciate the beauty we have in the Southwest," he noted.

One reason Wilson has such an admiration for nature's beauty and doesn't take it for granted is his outlook on life. About a year and a half ago, "I was driving and I got dizzy at a stoplight and the next thing I knew I was in the hospital."

Doctors diagnosed Wilson with small vessel heart disease, and he has had a few "mini strokes" since then.

"I had to slow down and change my life," he said. "I was too busy being busy. We're all just too busy being busy. If you let your life flow, you'll have fun. Don't take yourself seriously. You don't realize what you have until something happens to you."

Wilson believes every person has a talent and should use it. Whether they are a housekeeper or architect, "everybody is a creator ... an artist in their own way."

Wilson says, "Everybody needs nice art in their home. We all have our own forte'. We go through life trading hours for dollars, all to treat somebody else. You need to treat yourself sometimes because you don't know what's going to happen tomorrow."

Fred's current collection of miniature paintings are sold via his ebay store, Fred Wilson 3 Artist, which has allowed worldwide distribution, at prices everyone can afford. His larger works are shown at Artistic Images of Prescott, a gallery in Prescott Arizona, and a small private boutique in New York, near Princeton University. He said he sells most of his originals, while offering limited editions of each.

"When I sell a painting, it means I have touched somebody with my art in a special way," he said.

From: frewil@cableone.net To: 'Judith Radulovich-Robinette' Sent: Monday, October 04, 2004 8:53 AM

Hi ,

My aunt, Marge Cline, told you about me. I am from Winfield, graduated in 1962. My mom and Dad ran the Jumbo Grill. I am an artist living in the mountains in Prescott Valley, AZ. I show in a local gallery and sell my smaller paintings on eBay very reasonably to people all over the US and I have several pieces in private collections in Europe. Bob Ledman, high school coach in the 60's at Winfield, lives in Chandler and we correspond often. Also I correspond with some of my classmates. My mother lives in Wapello now. Would like to give you any imput you need.

Thanks,
Fred Wilson, III

From: frewil@cableone.net To: 'Judith Radulovich-Robinette'
Good Morning Judith:

Our friends here in Prescott Valley retired from Allied and moved up here. I remember the Prescott Valley Country club and the nut with the freezer thing.

I attended the Steamboat Days/ Snake Alley Art Fair this year, and spent a few weeks in Burlington and Wapello visiting relatives.

My mother, Jeanette, resides in Wapello. My father passed away. I do, with fond memories, recall my days in Winfield. It was just a short time, but seemed like I had lived there forever.

My mother ran the Jumbo Grill on Main Street and my father farmed just outside of town. I had a wonderful time in high school, participating in baseball, basketball, track and football. Since there were not many students in our classes at that time, most of us were in every sport.

Today I still keep in touch with many of my classmates. During my Junior and Senior years, I coached Little League baseball and worked at the Winfield Beacon for the Glenns. Things about Winfield I remember: the Halloween party each year for the whole town where parents and the children all got together and had a great time. Saturday nights after dates all of us meeting at Buck's Gas Station at the end of Main Street. Also during crop season checking with Buck to see if any of the farmers needed help; they all called him because they knew that’s where we all hung out. The dances after football games, junior and senior proms.

I still remember a day the town was all ABUZZ. Everyone was gathering in town, seems that some men had robbed something and had checked in at the Hotel and the police (state and local) had Main Street sealed off. Really don’t remember much after that.

On the farm. I remember Crooked Creek always flooding our farm. I remember all the good things that only happen in daily life in small towns. Winfield was and still is such a wonderful memory for me.

After graduation, I moved to Burlington where I met the young lady of my dreams (Pat) and married her. I worked at Chittenden and Eastman Co., and was eventually promoted to sell for them in Illinois. We lived for several years in Princeton, IL.

We moved to Texas and Oklahoma where I sold furniture to retailers. We moved to Phoenix, Arizona in the 80’s and our grown children followed us there.

We moved to Prescott and Prescott Valley about thirteen years ago and really like the small town atmosphere and living in the mountains gives us the four seasons. We are one and a half hours from Phoenix and Flagstaff, and four hours from Las Vegas; so we're close enough to larger cities.

We have five children, four sons and a daughter, and two grandchildren. Four of our children live in Phoenix and one lives in Ft. Worth, TX. I'm semi-retired due to health problems and am a merchandiser at Home Depot part time. Pat's parents still reside in Burlington and many of my relatives live there also.

Mostly, I am an artist. I have been lucky to have paintings in private collections in Europe and all over the United States. I show my larger gallery pieces in Artistic Images Gallery in Prescott, AZ and sell my smaller paintings which are called "studies" on eBay, where I have an eBay Store (Fred Wilson 3 Artist). My art there is priced so everyone can afford it.

I get so much enjoyment from it, knowing when someone buys one it will bring much joy to them. The local newspaper wrote an article about me and my art a few years ago. I will have to send you a copy by snail mail as it does not scan very well. I am attaching one of my newest paintings.

--- Original Message -----

From: Fred Wilson

To: radulovich@iowatelecom.net

Sent: Tuesday, October 26, 2004 12:31 PM

Hi; Judith

Did you receive my check? I am very interested in future happenings of this society. My years in Winfield were some of the most enjoyable and really want to keep up on the events of the community.

Thanks

Hi Judith:

Thanks for your prompt reply. Yes I do have a newspaper of the article written about me. I will send it to you. Don’t know if Lindy was referring to me or my father Fred Wilson, Jr. My folks ran the Jumbo Grill. In my senior year I worked part time at the Beacon for the Glenns. When I broke my collar bone in a football game in 1962, Tupper Glenn wrote a letter to the editor about me and what the young kids of town thought of me
.
My favorite townspeople were Buck Huston that ran the gas station at the end of Main Street, the Linders, Johnsons, Carlsons, Mr.Goeff ( I purchased my first T.V. from him at Perry’s Jewelry, where I purchased the engagement ring for my wife),

Dr. Widmer, Homer and Neil Hillyard. I have forgotten a lot of their names, but I recollect many people. Favorite teachers were of course Bob Ledman, Mr. Herman, Mr. Oberman, Mrs. Kinney, Mr. Carstens, Mrs Busby.

I remember the dances downtown after the sports games, the town Halloween party for all. The Christmas tree at the end of Main Street. Boy do I remember Crooked Creek. Our farm was on it. Many a time we had to ford water to get to our fields and farm animals, had to wait for the water to go down so we could finish working in the fields. Most of all, I just remember the great time of life living in Winfield. It’s a shame that most of America has forgotten or will never know about leaving your keys in your car, not having to lock your home, letting your children go play with their friends and not having to worry about them, everyone caring and watching out for each other and the sense of really belonging to a community.

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