An Artist's Life

Kuerner's farm has not only been the inspiration for countless Wyeth paintings, it's inspired many other artists as well, not the least of which is Karl Kuerner III. He was taught by Andy's sister Caroline and could watch over Andy's shoulder while he worked all of his life. They were of course very close. That is a perk that nearly no other artist has had. When he talks, I listen. When Helga spoke to me about my work, I listened. When Frolic spoke, I listened. Andrew himself found a few precious minutes one morning at Hank's Place and spent it talking with me about how he worked. There are many painters who move me, of course, but none the way he did. Most paintings I can look at and think,"Oh, I see what they did here," but not Andrew's. His have the wild, frantic spontaneity than can not be mimicked, a skill that is developed over a lifetime and a fearlessness that leaves me shaking my head. I know that most people, even painters and especially critics, look right past all of that and think they are seeing something finessed or contrived. And that inability to see it shows how little they know.

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