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The question persists: is illustration fine art, or a lesser form of art?

“Heidi and Her Grandfather,” oil on canvas,**1939–1940**, an illustration by N.C. Wyeth for the classic children’s novel *Heidi* by Johanna Spyri.

You may have heard the name N.C. Wyeth, or know that he was the father of the famed painter Andrew Wyeth. Or perhaps you’re aware that he was the illustrator of the wildly popular 1911 edition of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Newell Convers Wyeth (known as N.C. Wyeth) was sought after for book and magazine commissions throughout his career. But he never achieved the same widespread recognition as his son Andrew possibly because he was known primarily as an illustrator.

He was troubled by the distinction made between illustrators and artists, and he did seek recognition in other areas of art, but without much success.

N.C. accused himself of having

…bitched myself with the accursed success in skin-deep pictures and illustrations.

He complained that

An illustration must be made practical, not only in its dramatic statement, but it must be a thing that will adapt itself to the engravers’ and printers’ limitations. This fact alone kills that underlying inspiration to create thought. Instead of expressing that inner feeling, you express the outward thought… or imitation of that feeling.1

**Treasure Island, Endpaper Illustration** by **N. C. Wyeth**. It was painted in **1911** as part of Wyeth’s illustrations for Robert Louis Stevenson’s *Treasure Island*..

My visit to the Brandywine Museum - ground zero for all things Wyeth

In 2016, I made a pilgrimage to Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, to immerse myself in the Brandywine Museum and surrounding structures.

It was thrilling to walk through the house where N.C. and his wife, Mary, raised their five children and N.C.’s cavernous, fascinating studio.

I also visited Andrew Wyeth’s studio, where his painting palette was left untouched as if he had just gone for a break. And on the door to his studio was this sign:

Some of my favorite works of N.C. depict Native American life before the coming of the white man. The two below are from five paintings published in Outing Magazine under the collective title, The Indian in His Solitude.

“In the Crystal Depths,” oil on canvas, completed in 1906

Untitled, oil on canvas, from the series “The Indian in His Solitude”, from Outing Magazine, February 1907 [Some of the paintings did not have individual titles]

“Hiawatha’s Fishing,” oil on canvas, Frontispiece of *The Song of Hiawatha* by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, 1908

What do you think of N.C.’s art? Do you think illustration is a lesser art form?

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Book promotion has taken over my time, and I still haven’t gotten back to painting. When I first abandoned painting about a year before publication, it was very painful. Later, I adapted, it felt as if painting was part of a past life. Now I sense I’m on the verge of returning - maybe starting with self-portraits as they were such a throughline in my memoir. The thought of painting again now feels exciting - like anticipating reconnecting with an old friend. Hopefully, I’ll have something to share in next month’s Substack.

Libraries! One of my goals for the book has been to get it into libraries. To my surprise, when I called the San Francisco Public Library, the librarian told me they are very interested in having local authors in their collection.

I would be so grateful if you could log on to your local library and fill out the request form. Sometimes it’s called a “suggested title.” Or just show up in person or call if you need help with the process.

For example, at the San Francisco Public Library, the path is: login to your account —> library dashboard —> scroll down on the left —> submit a suggestion —> fill out the form.

Please let me know if you’ve had success or need help

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Podcasts! I was delighted to be on ”Let’s Talk Memoir” one of my favorite podcasts.

Here’s a clip that I turned into a “reel” [short video on Instagram}

And here’s the entire interview if you need a distraction while doing dishes.

If you haven’t already, you can order Art & Love at any independent bookstore, on my website, or wherever books are sold.

I leave you with a

“Blue Skies”, music & lyrics by Irving Berlin, was composed in 1926 for the musical Betsy. The show only ran for 39 performances, but "Blue Skies" was an instant success. The audience demanded 24 encores on opening night from the star Belle Baker. During the final repetition, she forgot her lyrics, and Berlin sang them from his seat in the front row.

I love this version by Nora Jones and Seth MacFarlane. I adore her piano playing. It’s a very hopeful song, but also poignant.

Allow me to illustrate...✏️

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