Ted Schuyler 40's Female Figure Oil Painting

Description

An original oil on canvas painting of a female figure wearing a stylized ladies hat. Painted by Theodore Roosevelt Schuyler … more An original oil on canvas painting of a female figure wearing a stylized ladies hat. Painted by Theodore Roosevelt Schuyler (1904-1990) Trinidad, Colorado. Retains original frame. Canvas only measures 20"H 24"W.

Ted Schuyler:
Ted Schuyler was born in Trinidad, Colorado on November 2, 1904, which was the day Teddy Roosevelt was elected President, hence the name. Ted was the son of John and Frances Schuyler, and had five brothers and two sisters. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago in the late 1920's, as well as having some art education in New York. He met his wife, Lee Clarke, while at the Art Institute, and they were married in 1932. The Schuylers set up residence in Albuquerque, New Mexico shortly after their marriage, and remained residents there until 1978 except for three years from 1942 - 1946 when they were in Gallup, NM and Ted worked at the Ft. Wingate Ordinance Depot as a civilian employee. Their first daughter Trudie was born in Albuquerque in 1939 and second daughter Noelle in Gallup in 1945. Returning to Albuquerque, Ted resumed active painting and teaching art classes associated with such groups as the Albuquerque Women's Club and the Wives Club at Kirtland AFB. His wife Lee did significantly less painting while the children were young, but resumed active work in her later years.

Ted is well known among his former students and numerous friends. His "public works" include a mural of the move of Spanish settlers from Bernalillo to Albuquerque which was painted on the wall of the Hacienda Restaurant in Old Town Albuquerque. That mural has just been restored by artist Karen Deaton of DreamScapes in Albuquerque.

Ted also painted three large (4' x 8') panels on a religious theme, entitled "A Triptych from the Gospel of St. John" which were donated by his family and are now on display at Second Presbyterian Church in Albuquerque. In 1978, Ted and Lee Schuyler moved from their long-time home in Albuquerque to their daughter Noelle Guinn's house in Los Lunas, NM, where they remained until February of 1987. They then relocated to the home of Ray and Trudie Barreras in Atlanta, GA. Ted passed away in Atlanta in January of 1990, leaving his wife, Lee, two daughters, Trudie and Noelle, and seven grandchildren. In August following Ted's death, an invitational retrospective exhibit of his work was organized at the Albuquerque Art League Gallery, primarily put together by Lee, Noelle, and Trudie's daughter Therese (Tish) Gorman. Over 100 of Ted's works were displayed at that time, with accompanying commentary by those from whose collections they were derived. Ted was very generous with his work, typically giving a "demonstration watercolor" to each new student who attended his classes, as well as donating paintings to be sold for charity auctions. He regularly submitted to juried shows, and some of his works are in permanent collections such as that of the New Mexico State Fair. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any comprehensive listing of the locations of such works available. At the present time, most of the Schuyler works whose location is known are in the private collections of his children and grandchildren, as well as his siblings' children. Most of them have shown no particular interest in disposing of these works, but rather cherish them and display them in their own homes.

Ted painted extensively of the Southwestern scene, sketching in watercolor when on site with his classes, and sometimes rendering more completed studies in oil, egg tempera or casein. He greatly enjoyed working in permasol (transparent) oil. One subject which fascinated him was Indian dances and ceremonies. He did several paintings of the Santo Domingo Corn Dance, all from memory since photographs or sketches of that ceremony were not allowed by the tribal authorities. He also did two paintings from impressions of the Zuñi Shalako festival. His "masterwork" of the Santo Domingo celebration was executed in egg tempera and represents over 600 hours of actual painting time. That painting is currently in the possession of his granddaughter Tish; one of the two Shalako paintings belongs to his granddaugther Lorna Barreras, and the other to his granddaughter Diana Guinn. In addition, Ted did numerous portraits. One of his favorite activities was to paint a portrait of a high school graduate as a "gift" to the parents, who he said deserved recognition for having succeeded in getting a kid through school. Many of these portraits, as well as a number of landscapes, and the previously-mentioned Triptych, were displayed at his memorial exhibit. less