With much delight and relief, I finally completed the task of sorting my dad's drawings, his other artwork and papers. I have been wrestling with this large body of work for a long time. There are several thousand pieces and I wanted to find a good home for them. The drawings revealed his extraordinary talent for capturing emotions in the characters that he drew. The thousands of preliminary drawings that he kept show a master who continuously studied and honed his craft. Much of it is fragile and needs preservation. Much of it illustrates a story of a life that provided others with inspiration and joy.
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| Bugs Bunny comic strips for Warner Bros. drawn by Ralph C. Heimdahl |
Hoorah for St. Cloud State University, my dad's alma mater in Minnesota. Their library has accepted the collection to be preserved in their archives and used for research by those who have an interest in comic art. I've kept some of the Bugs Bunny work as well as drawings related to our family and I distributed some to my immediate family. But I am relieved that the main body of work will be preserved and enjoyed and will not end up in somebody's private collection where it will never be seen.
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| Horse studies by R.C. Heimdahl |
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| Grandchildren ice skating by Ralph Heimdahl |
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| Family cartoon by Ralph C. Heimdahl |
We are in the process of scanning and photographing the drawings and other work that I have kept. We are also doing the same for my mother's work. My mom worked at Disney until she met and married my dad. She became a housewife as so many in her era did, but she never stopped creating. She drew and painted each of her children and grandchildren, painted delicate flowers on paper and clay, and sketched scenes while we were on vacation. She is one of those many unknown artists who will not have a place in university or museum archives, so we are digitizing her work so that we have a family collection at least.
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by Esther Heimdahl
This portrait hangs in my workroom as a reminder
of the hours I spent posing for my mom. |
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| by Esther B. Heimdahl |
Check out St. Cloud State University, Minnesota, here:
https://www.stcloudstate.edu
So happy your dad's work will be saved, protected and cherished by the university. There is a lot of interest in mid century cartooning and the artists. I've found a few FB groups I enjoy. Interesting how current they seem some times. Your dad's horse drawings remind me quite a bit of Jo Mora's art. He was quite a bit older than your dad but wonder if their paths ever crossed. Mora wrote a fantastic kid's book, Budgee Budgee Cottontail, illustrated as he took his family around the world on a steamer.
ReplyDeleteTeejay,, Thank you for your comments about my dad's artwork. I just found Jo Mora's website, which has many familiar pieces. He lived in Carmel and has work in public places there. The artists of that era had such deep training in drawing figures. I love to look at their work.
ReplyDeleteWow! Martha, my son and I just read this post. This is so impressive. I know it takes a lot of time and work. Im glad you found a place for your dad's work that will take good care and make sure it is never forgotten. Glad your mom's work--which is also awesome--will be forever in the care of her children. Hugs...
ReplyDeleteChandra,
DeleteThank you for taking the time to read through so many of my posts. I appreciate all your comments. They touch my heart with your kindness. I hope the blog will inspire you to continue doing art!
No wonder you have such talent, Martha!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Teresa. Being around artists is a fun way to grow up.
Deletefrom email by Mary: Every time I look at your dad’s work I’m amazed. He was such an incredible talent. I never realized how talented your mom was, her work is beautiful, what treasures you have! It’s no wonder you're so talented as well. thanks so much for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary, for being such an encouraging reader too.
DeleteEmail from Joan:This is a wonderful blog. What a legacy to have left this record. I loved seeing what your mother had done. No wonder you are so talented. Thank you. Joan
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joan, doing the organizing of all their work has been a wonderful experience for me.
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