Articles
Retrospective Exhibition In November 2021
Retrospective Details. Greetings! We, at John Stermer Estate, are happy to announce a John Stermer Retrospective Exhibition coming to Western New Mexico University (WNMU) in Silver City NM this November. This will be an “in person” exhibition. And, we would love to have you join us; you are invited to attend! Location. In particular, the retrospective will be held at the WNMU Francis McCray Gallery of Contemporary Art, 1000 W College Ave, Silver City NM. Dates. The exhibition dates are Thursday, November 18th through Thursday, […]
Animals: A Sampling from John Stermer Artwork
Greetings! I would like to share with you some of John Stermer’s animals. That is, some of the animals that appear in John Stermer paintings. This sampling was inspired by the painting of my youngest sister, Dorothy, and our dog Frej, (see above). While Dad did not specialize in drawing and painting animals, he certainly seemed to enjoy them as subjects. I have to think Dad thoroughly enjoyed drawing these goats! For another version of goats, you might want to check out this article: […]
Spiritual In Nature: Trees, Mountains & Cathedrals
Greetings! I was talking to my sister yesterday about Dad’s paintings. And, during the conversation, we started discussing his tree paintings. That is, there are several John Stermer paintings that feature trees. We agreed that trees were a favorite subject. Hmmm, Dad had a lot of church and cathedrals paintings too, my sister noted. Then, we both thought a minute. And, I recalled that Dad had what I can only describe as a spiritual feeling about Nature and trees in particular. You could say […]
Abigail Egge-Ogas, John Stermer WNMU Scholarship Winner
Greetings! Meet artist Abigail Egge Ogas of Silver City NM. She is the recipient of the John Stermer Western New Mexico University (WNMU) Scholarship for school year 2020-2021! Earlier this year, Abigail showed her work in a WNMU Expressive Arts Pop-Up Gallery in downtown Silver City as part of a “We All Build Narratives” themed student exhibition. We would like to share with you Ms. Egge-Ogas artist statement for a series of paintings that she has been creating. Artist Statement: Abigail Egge-Ogas […]
Trees As Subject – A Few Favorites
You may have noticed that the artist John Stermer has a lot of tree paintings. That is, trees are the primary subject matter in several of his paintings. So much so, that you might wonder why and what was the significance of all those trees. I have been thinking about these trees for a while. You see, years ago my father and I had a discussion about trees as part of a larger existential discussion that ran the gamut from mail boxes to Tolstoy. You […]
“On The Rocks” Oil Painting By John Stermer
Greetings! I would like to share with you the John Stermer oil painting “On The Rocks” for your visual pleasure. One thing I particularly like about this painting is the way Dad simplified the rock formations. Also, I can feel the rhythms of the rock, somewhat like the rhythms of the waves that formed them. Dad was particularly drawn to working from nature. Whether the subject was trees, rocks, skies or the big landscape itself, there was so much to explore through drawing and painting. […]
“The Swim Team”, Figure Painting By John H Stermer
Hi! Today I would like to share with you a “detail” or partial photo of the John Stermer oil painting “The Swim Team”. Need I say that this one is another family favorite? You may think it a bit odd that I start out the fall season by sharing a summer-themed painting. After all, swimming is a favorite summer activity. However, in New Mexico, John Stermer’s home the last 30 plus years of his life, September and even October can be good swimming weather. More […]
Celebrating John Stermer’s 100th Birthday!
Happy 100! Today is the one hundredth birthday of the artist John Stermer; our Dad. It is hard to imagine what it might have been like 100 years ago on August 19th, 1920. But, I can imagine him sitting in front of his easel, with dog Frej in his studio. I would like to celebrate his birthday by sharing one of his last paintings. It is my opinion that Dad kept experimenting and growing as an artist right up until the time that he could […]
Early Preparatory Drawing And Painting
In this posting, I would like to show you a John Stermer painting along with its preparatory drawing. The drawing “Vagrant” and a painting titled “Portrait of Armand Warngy” and were done 1946. I had seen a photograph of the drawing before from Dad’s artwork archives. However, it was not until this past March that I finally saw the painting in person. To explain, on a recent trip to visit my Mother, (the artist’s wife, Luci), one of my sister’s and I looked through […]
“Christ And The Leper”, After Rembrandt Van Rijn
“For all his artistic skills, what’s most important about Rembrandt is his deep compassion.” (Irwin Greenberg) Greetings. Hello! I would like to share with you a painting by the artist John Stermer (Dad) that seems particularly appropriate for Easter weekend. Studies After The Masters. From time to time, Dad would do studies and paintings after the great Masters. In particular, El Greco and Rembrandt Van Rijn come to mind. And, today’s painting is one done after Rembrandt’s drawing Christ Healing A Leper. Picasso Studied […]