February 2021 Art News from Evy Okerstrom

Woman on a Bench

Welcome to new and returning readers. Last month I told you I was going to write about some of the people that have influenced me. This month I am writing about my Aunt, Emmy Krick. Some of my readers will be familiar with her as she was my Mother, Joanne Reitzel’s sister. I will give you some background and a biography. Then display some of her work in this blog. Her son, Len Krick, has set up a wonderful website: EmmyKrick.com. You can visit it and look at the vast collection that she left when she died in 2018. Note too, that her original paintings are for sale and prints are available.

Emmy and her sisters grew up in a very artistic home. As far back as I can remember, they were always drawing and painting. Pen and ink drawings were my earliest recollection. Emmy would write letters and illustrate them with pen and ink. Going to museums and looking at paintings was also done wherever I visited. In the early years, Emmy painted with watercolors and I was in love with the medium. She was an excellent draftsman with knowledge of colors. When I asked her about color, she said I cannot follow a color wheel, I know what to do.

When I started to paint, I told her I wanted to be like her. She laughed and I know she was pleased I said that. Her advice to me when I had to give a talk on watercolor was to tell everyone that I had started late to paint but look at how much I had achieved. She also liked to critique my work and would write long handwritten notes (she did not like computers) and say the work was “genius” or suggest how to make it better. What follows now is a modified biography that I have taken from her website that was written by Len Krick.

Cosmic Dance

Cadence

Emmy was born in 1930 in Philadelphia, and attended the Philadelphia College of Art and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art. She moved to a 150 acre farm in Chester County where she lived for many years. She married and had two children. Gardening was her passion. In the 1950’s she designed greeting cards for the Able Greeting Card Company. She always sent out a handmade card for birthdays, Christmas and her favorite was Valentine’s Day!

Later she taught art at Upland Country Day School in Kennett Square, PA for 38 years. She took a sabbatical and went to Japan to study their artwork. This remained her lifelong inspiration. She was inspired to create incredible pen and ink drawings and wood block prints of Japanese scenes. She continued to paint and was always trying out new styles. She showed her works in many venues including the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and Longwood Gardens. Her paintings are in many private collections.

Cycles

Flowers and Crane

I hope you enjoyed that. Now here is my schedule for February.
February 3, Exhibit: Fresh Works 3: Transitions; Florida Women’s Art Association; The Casements, 25 Riverside Drive, Ormond Beach.
February 6, First Saturday at the Hub; I will be there 10 am to 2 pm.
February 11, Sketching with watercolor, pen and Ink, at The Hub. A new 4 week series begins.

Later she taught art at Upland Country Day School in Kennett Square, PA for 38 years. She took a sabbatical and went to Japan to study their artwork. This remained her lifelong inspiration. She was inspired to create incredible pen and ink drawings and wood block prints of Japanese scenes. She continued to paint and was always trying out new styles. She showed her works in many venues including the Philadelphia Horticultural Society and Longwood Gardens. Her paintings are in many private collections.

Lilies

And last, here is my thought of the day. “I am constantly trying to capture the spirit of the garden. Gardens have drama and mystery and show nature’s energy and power. There is emotion in the varied shapes, proportion, textures, compositions, and especially, colors. The constant change in a single garden echoes the transitory nature of life itself”. Emmy Krick

To View Emmy Krick’s paintings in the Guest Gallery Visit Gallery