Terry Redlin Announces His Retirement from Painting and Print Signing In June 2007
After a lifetime of artistic achievements, Terry Redlin has announced his retirement from painting and print signing. Redlin, who is widely known as "America's Favorite Artist," has accomplished what he set out to do. "I wanted to tell stories with my paintings, to remember the experiences of my youth, and to imagine and capture forever events that have been related to me by older folks I have had the pleasure of knowing," said Redlin. "America's rural past, in my eyes, was a wonderful place full of both beauty and opportunity. How fortunate I've been to spend my life creating memories of those distant times for others to enjoy."
How fortunate we have been to experience his rare talent. Beginning with the 1977 release of "Winter Snows," Terry Redlin enthusiasts have collected over 2 million art prints and an even greater number of collectibles and home décor products-all inspired by his unique artistic talent.
"We all wish Terry the very best in his well-deserved retirement," said Randy Eggenberger, president of Wild Wings. "He has touched the lives of so many people with his nostalgic images of rural America. It is comforting to know that his art will live on in many new forms for the enjoyment of all in years to come."
Please note that many Terry Redlin signed print editions remain available at their original issue price at this time-but in limited quantities. No additional prints will be signed and there will be no new paintings. Contact the Gallery & Frame Shop at 921-1144 for availability status.
While the supply of signed prints is indeed limited, Wild Wings will continue to produce and distribute a wide array of new Terry Redlin unsigned prints along with unique home décor and gift products. The Gallery & Frame Shop will continue to maintain a good inventory of available signed, unsigned art and giftware by Terry Redlin.
Terry would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to the countless dealers and collectors who have supported him throughout his career. He takes great satisfaction in knowing that his work will continue to inspire others and that the future release of new Terry Redlin products will support his two most cherished causes-the Redlin Art Center in Watertown, SD, and the preservation and restoration of rural America.
Terry is looking forward to enjoying his retirement in the home he built on a spot he fished from as a young boy. It took him a lifetime of work to get back to the shores of Lake Kampeska in Watertown. Redlin noted, "An American novelist once told us that you 'can't go home again.' He was wrong. In my mind, I never left home, even when physically away. And when I finally returned, it was a great relief. I had a deep feeling that, finally, things were going to be okay. I was reconnected to my past, and to a childhood that was magic." Redlin plans to enjoy his retirement in Watertown surrounded by the family, friends and places that have inspired him for nearly 70 years.
Contact Julie Balson at the Gallery & Frame Shop, 94 South Main Street, Fond du Lac, WI. Telephone: (920) 921-1144 email: galleryframe@sbcglobal.net
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Few artists can rival the standards of excellence achieved by MasterArtist Terry Redlin over the past 18 years. He is truly one of the country's most widely collected painters of wildlife and Americana. For five consecutive years, 1991 - 95, Redlin has been named America's most popular artist by U. S. ART magazine. His use of earthy colors, blazing sunrises and sunsets and nostalgic themes are often cited as the reasons for his immense popularity.
Redlin's interest in the out of Doors can be traced to his child hood in Watertown, SD. A motorcycle accident ended his dream of becoming a forest ranger, and he opted to pursue a career in the graphic arts. He earned a degree from the St. Paul School of Associated Arts and spent 25 years working in commercial art as layout artist, graphic designer, illustrator and art director. In his leisure time he researched wildlife subjects and settings.
In 1977, at the age of 40, Redlin burst onto the wildlife scene when his painting "Winter Snows" appeared on the cover of The Fanner magazine. By 1979, demand for his work had become so great that he left his art directing career to concentrate on painting wildlife.
Since then, Redlin's meteoric rise has been unparalleled in the field of contemporary wildlife art. In 1981 and 1984, he won the Minnesota Duck Stamp competition, and in 1982, the Minnesota Trout Stamp contest. He also placed second that year in the Federal Duck Stamp Competition. He has been honored as Artist of the Year for Ducks Unlimited National and Minnesota), and as Conservationist of the Year-Magnum Donor by the Minnesota Waterfowl Association for his gifts of entire print editions.
In 1985, Redlin added an entirely new artistic direction, limited edition collector plates. To date, he has released more than 20 editions, many of which are now available only on the secondary market The National Association of Limited Edition Dealers has three times presented him with the Lithograph of the Year" award for excellence in the medium.
In 1987, Redlin began exploring his interest in Americana subjects and nostalgic scenes of yesteryear, painting several images for his American Memories (TM) and Country Doctor's Collections. Since then his annual Christmas prints have attracted thousands of collectors from coast to coast. His induction into U.S. ART's Hall of Fame in July, 1992 followed the magazine's poll of 900 galleries nationwide, which placed five of Redlin's limited editions in the top 11 in popularity.
In 1992, he completed his most ambitious work to date, painting each line in the first stanza of "America the Beautiful." All eight, which depict American life from the settling of the west to the present day, were released as limited edition prints over a three year period, ending in January, 1995. The series has been showcased in art and consumer magazines nationwide, and it has been acclaimed by thousands of collectors.
Redlin's immense popularity can also he measured in the success of his book, "Opening Windows to the Wild, The Art of Terry Redlin." In its sixth printing, the book details his paintings, pencil sketches and biography. Always the perfectionist, he personally supervised the printing and production of this important project. A critical as well as a commercial success, the book was a Certificate of Merit winner at the prestigious Printing Industries of America competition in 1988.
"Terry Redlin Paints America the Beautiful," a video presentation produced by Hadley House, earned a coveted Telly Award in the 1993 national competition. "America the Beautiful," Terry Redlin's acclaimed series of eight paintings, depicts American values from the settling of the west to the present day.
Terry Redlin derives the most satisfaction from his conservation work. Over the 16 year period from 1981-96, his donations to Ducks Unlimited raised more than $28 million, setting an all-time record in art sales for wetland preservation projects. By his own estimate, he has donated several million to other nonprofit conservation organizations.
Redlin's most compelling project at present is the construction of a museum to house his works in Watertown, where he now resides. Construction of the museum, which will also include a state tourism office, is slated to be completed in late 1996.
