WONDERLUST 50 Years of Discovery by Artist / Naturalist Sidney Wildesmith
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© 2024 Sidney Wildesmith. This artwork is protected under international copyright laws and agreements. No part of this artwork may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the artist.
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ARTIST’S WONDERLUST STATEMENT I was born a naturalist and an artist. This Flipbook represents the melding of both in form. This “Wonderlust Flipbook” showcases my lifelong quest to know and understand what on earth I am, on a giant twirling ball that circles a giant burning orb, which is just one amongst billions and billions. Mine has been a scientific expedition into the Spi ritual Mystery of our existence. My focus is and has always been on our existence amongst the miracles of nature. It started when I was young, with my fascination for living things, from ants to tulips to turtles and trees. Small creatures fascinated me. I quickly saw a connection between their lives and mine. And I quickly began to try to understand them, to try to discover what made them do what they do. And I discovered that drawing and sketching them literally shaped my truths in form. I watched as they ate food, built homes, travelled across the land, hung out with friends, fought, were born, suffered and died. There was continuity within the landscape of nature. The more I looked, the more I saw that how life expressed itself was awesome and endlessly beautiful. By the time I was five I had a hand lens, binoculars, and a microscope. I experimented with animals by catching them, putting them into jars, and boxes and watching what they did. And the deeper I went into the small, the more it became a miraculous incomprehensibility that was the source of my Wonderlust, my
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passion to know and explore the miraculous from the tiniest wonders to the infinitude of miracles of the universe. I was drawing all of my life, but never thought much of it. While at the University of Minnesota, I took a walk along the Mississippi River; a late wet crusty snow still coated the banks. I noticed one small plant that had melted its way through the snow. I had a small watercolor set with me, and I rendered it on the spot. I showed my small watercolor of a cheese mallow to my boss at the Bell Museum of Natural History where I was a guide, and he said, “You’ve got talent” and offered me a job as a scientific illustrator to do pen-and- ink renderings of plants of Minnesota. And so it began. And it has continued ever since in museums, nature centers, state parks and ultimately with my serving as Artist-In- Residence in 7 National Parks. And along the way I have lived an adventure- filled life bedazzled by literally thousands of amazing people. My journey is showcased in “Wonderlust,” from my early sketches and renderings, through scientific illustrations, and expressions interpreted using a diversity of media. Thank you for coming along. It’s not over yet, and I will continue to seek understanding. Onward into the Mystery, Sidney Wildesmith / Artist-Naturalist
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INDEX
Landscapes: pp 7 - 47 Flowers: pp 49 - 74 National Parks Touring Artist: pp 76 - 104 Animals: pp 106 – 125 People: pp 127 – 165 Scientific Illustration: pp 167 – 196
Graphics: pp 198 – 219 Abstracts: pp 221 – 232 Summary: page 234 Contact Information: page 235
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LANDSCAPES Come along as I paint the land I love.
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GOLD MOUNTAIN
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MYSTIC PATH
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MYSTIC FALLS
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THE HOLY GRAIL
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COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
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YELLOWSTONE RIVER
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YELLOWSTONE FALLS
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YELLOWSTONE FALLS DELIGHT
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ANTELOPE VALLEY
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LA JOLLA SHORES
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AFTER THE BURN
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PACIFIC PARADISE
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OCEAN BEACH
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UNITY
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PARADISE FOUND
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CALYPSO
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SO PROUD
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LUMINOUS HILLS
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EVENING REST
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LA JOLLA SHORES
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MIDNIGHT AT YELLOWSTONE FALLS
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THREE SISTERS
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POPPY FIELDS
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SANGRE DE CRISTO HILLS
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SAN DIEGO HILLSIDE
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SUBTLE WONDER
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SUNRISE MOONSET
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LAGUNA CANYON
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WHAT’S OVER THERE?
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LET’S GO FOR A STROLL
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SAN DIEGO WONDER
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ADVENTURE AHEAD
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TORREY PINES
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MYSTIC MIDNIGHT
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STORM OVER TAOS
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SANTA FE SERENADE
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I’M SO BEAUTIFUL
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THE GLORY OF IT ALL
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SACRED GARDEN
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VISTA LA JOLLA
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FLOWERS / MONKEY FLOWER
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YELLOW IRIS
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PINK POPPY
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ROSE
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TEASEL
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THIS IS FUN
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CALLA LILY
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BINDWEED
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FOUR BLUE FLOWERS
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IT’S SPRING
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RED GERANIUM
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IRIS
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TWO BLUE BEAUTIES
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RED ROSE
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RED POPPY ON STRIPES
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TRUMPET FLOWER BLUE SOLO
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CHEESE MALLOW
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FROLICKING
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PURPLE IRIS
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WHITE IRIS
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TULIP FLOWER
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SHOOTING STAR ON PINK
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FIELD STUDY
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LADY FERN
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SHOOTING STAR PORTRAIT
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FLAMINGO
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NATIONAL PARKS TOURING ARTIST
YELLOWSTONE FALLS
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YELLOWSTONE RIVER
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YELLOWSTONE BUTTE
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OLD FAITHFUL
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COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
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MIDNIGHT AT YELLOWSTONE FALLS
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YELLOWSTONE FALLS VALLEY
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YELLOWSTONE FALLS
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WOLF
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MESA VERDE TOWER
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MESA VERDE STAIRWAY
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MESA VERDE ALLEY
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MESA VERDE ROOM
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MESA VERDE KIVA
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MESA VERDE HALLWAY
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SPRUCE TREE HOUSE
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MESA VERDE WINDOW 1
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MESA VERDE WINDOW 2
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MESA VERDE WINDOW 3
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MESA VERDE WINDOW 4
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MESA VERDE COMPLEX
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DELICATE ARCH IN MOONLIGHT
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DELICATE ARCH
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THE MONOLITH
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COLORADO NATIONAL MONUMENT
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THE COKE OVENS
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THREE SISTERS
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DANCERS
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INDEPENDENCE MONUMENT
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ANIMALS GLOBE MALLOW LEAF BEETLE
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SNOWEY OWL IN THE MOONLIGHT
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RACCOON
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FLYING SQUIRREL
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GROUND SQUIRREL
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FOX
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OWL
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CRAPPIE
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WHIP-POOR-WILL
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MEXICAN JAY
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WHITE-TAILED PTARMIGAN
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CALICO CAT
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RABBIT
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BISON
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GOOSIES
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ORCA
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MOONLIGHT SURFING KOALA
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WABBIT AT MIDNIGHT
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QUACKER
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I LOVE TO SING IN MY BOAT
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PEOPLE GEORGIA O’KEEFFE
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GERONIMO
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DAISY MAE
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CHIEF JOSEPH
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JOHN LENNON
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HUH
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KISSY FACE
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EINSTEIN’S BRAIN
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CONTEMPLATION
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OH MY
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EGG DROP
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SEEKER
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MR. HUMM
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THE QUEST
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PRETTY IN PINK
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SUPER WOMAN
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BLACK PRINCESS
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HI
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THE FARMER
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WOW
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WANT SOME CORNBREAD?
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THINKING OLD LADY AT TABLE
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NO!
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STELE HUMAN
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TWO FACED THINKING
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LIKE MY TONQUE?
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SO PRETTY
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HELLO FROM SEAPORT VILLAGE
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GREETINGS FROM SAN DIEGO
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COUNT JEAN PHILIPPE EUGENE
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JOY
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GRANDMA NESTRUD
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GRANDPA NESTRUD
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OLAVES THE CLOWN
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DARK FACED CLOWN
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MISSY
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LIPPSY
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LADY IN ROUGE
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OUR SECRET
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SCIENTIFIC ILLUSTRATION CONCH SHELL
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PITCHER PLANT
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OPUNTIA
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JACK-IN-THE-PULPIT
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PEAR TREE
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AMINITA
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LOTUS FLOWER IN POND
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CASCADE LILY
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POINSETTIA
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PUSSY WILLOW
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OLIVES IN TREE
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IN THE TANGLE
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RYE PLANT
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PITCHER PLANT
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CHEESE MALLOW
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DAISY
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NORTHERN MAIDENHAIR FERN
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COMMUNITY OF THE TREES
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SHOOTING STAR
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CASHEW
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ALMOND
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MOREL MUSHROOM
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AVIAN SAMPLER
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PANSY
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RHYTHMS OF LIFE
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RACCOON
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CRAPPIE
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GRAPHICS GOOD MORNING
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RAINBOW TROUT
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BALANCE
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PLASMIC LANDSCAPE
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RED MOON MOUNTAINS
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WHITE MOON MOUNTAIN
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URBANITY
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COEXISTENCE
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WHITE BASS
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SOARING BEAVER
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FROM THE PHARAOHS
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YE OLDE WRITERS’ BEST FRIEND
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EGG DROP
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OWL
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GERONIMO
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GRAND PIANO
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I’M SO BEAUTIFUL
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IN THE SHODOWS
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TRANQUILTY
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ORCA
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BUCK ROGERS
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SACRED GARDEN
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ABSTRACTS HUMANOIDAL
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A TANGLE OF CURVES
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CALLA LILY
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MR. HUMM
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THE QUEST
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SEEKER
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SOPHIE
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TRANSDIMENSIONAL
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SPIRAL OF CREATIVITY
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MYSTICAL VISION
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PLASM
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HOME
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Summary Art comes in many forms from Sidney Wildesmith. He is an accomplished landscape painter influenced by the Hudson River School painters and specifically by legendary landscape painter A.D. Greer, with whom he studied for years. His influences have also been enriched by the vibrant art community of Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he lived for nearly 25 years. Trained as a biologist, naturalist and educator, he started his professional career working as an interpretive naturalist in Minnesota State Parks. His deep knowledge and love of the earth drives his artistic expression. His desire to inspire an understand ing and appreciation for the wonder and beauty of the earth led him to create the National Parks Touring Artists Program, through which he provided art classes and programming to park visitors as Artist-In- Residence in various National Parks, including Yellowstone, Redwood, Canyonlands and Mesa Verde. He was declared one of Grumbacher's Platinum Artists for his achievements in teaching art to the public. Currently he is expanding his artistic quest through video, often embellished with his original musical work, which he composes, performs and records. He has had numerous one-man shows that carry the theme “The Path is Beauty.” He has a deep appreciation for the life of the artist and the long and personal path that guides the soul to continue the creative quest.
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To contact Sidney Wildesmith
“Wonderlust” is a sampler of the various styles and subjects of my work and the first in a series of flipbooks that will be available in the months ahead. Many of these pieces are available in the original and/or as giclee or regular prints in various sizes. If you have any questions about any of these works of art, note the name and page number and contact Sidney at:
Email: wildesmith@gmail.com
Send text to: 619-988-6925
Visit website: www.wildesmith.com
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