240
WELLS,Cady,LandscapefromAbove,19'/2x27'/2. Illustration—Plate 57
"Myapproachtopaintingisrootedinmyfeelingsforandabouttheformsand
objectsinnatureandinlifethatarebeautiful,excitingandstimulatingtomeasa
humanbeing;andinmydesiretoevokesimilarsensationsinothers.Fromanother
pointofview,Imightsaythatthecreativeprocessinpainting—theactitself—is
basedonmyneedsandwishestosharewithotherswhatIcannotshareinanyother
form."
Cady\V'ellswasborninSouthbridge,Massachusetts,in1904.Asayouthhe
showedmarkedtalentandabilityforpianobutabandonedmusicasaprofession.Mis
collegetrainingincludesstudyatHarvardandtheUniversityofArizona.In 1927 he
settledinSantaFc.
Wellshashadbutlittleformalinstructioninthecreativearts.Foratimehe
studiedwithAndrewDasburginTaosanddidstagedesignunderJosephUrbanand
NormanBelGeddes.TheArmyclaimedfouryearsofhislife;anothertwowere
spentinextensivetravelinEuropeandtheOrient.
Hisworkhasbeenexhibitedfrequentlyandformspartofthepermanentcollec-
tionsoftheWilliamHayesFoggMuseumof.ArtatHarvardUniversity,Cambridge,
Massachusetts;theWadsworth.Athcncum,Hartford,Connecticut;Fine.ArtsSociety
ofSanDiego,California;ColoradoSpringsFine.ArtsCenter;MuseumofFineArts
inBoston;AddisonGalleryofAmericanArt,PhillipsAcademy,Andover,Massachu-
setts; UniversityofIowa;andtheSantaFe(NewMexico).ArtMuseum.Hehas
spentconsiderabletimeontheislandofSt.Croixinthe\VestIndies,butisnow
livinginSantaFe.
WILDE,John,FurtherFestivitiesattheContessaSanseverini's, 13 x24.
Illustration—Plate 84
"IIisalwaysdifiicultforthepaintertomake.somesortofstatementabouta
paintinghehasdone.PerhapsIwouldbe.sympatheticwiththegroupwhichsays:
'thepaintingspeaksforitself.".AtthesametimeIfeel,takingintoconsideration
thepainter'susualliteraryineptitude,thatawordaboutacertainworkmaylay
theground-worktoafuller,newercomprehension.
"Firstly,IfeelstronglythatImustacceptasfactthepointthatpaintingneeds
subject matterandstorybasedonillusionary(visual) experiencewiththeoutside
world(Nature).
"Secondly,astheSansevcriniindicates,thisneedhavenoscientificorrational
limitations—onlythoselimitations,ifany,whichconfinetherealmofpoetry...
theSansevcrinipicturecreatesaprivateworld,somehowdevisedfromthe"atmos-
phere'which.Stendhalpervadesuponme.Yet,aboveall,itcannotbeconsidered
anillustrationofanyofStendhal,butratheritisalistingofthosethingsIperhaps
finddesirableandacceptablefromnaturalexperience,whichresult (tome) in
creatingaStcndhalianatmosphere.Hence,Ihaveentitleditasanhomagetothis
great 19lhcenturypoet.(Actually,itisDuchessaSanseverina,fromtheCharter-
houseofParma,whichItookthelibertyofchangingtoContessaSansevcrini.)
"NeedIstatethatIveneratethemastersandnatureandthatIclosemyeyes
toasmanyofthenature-debasingcontemporariesasispo.ssibie."
JohnWildewasborninMilwaukee,Wisconsin,in1919.HestudiedattheUni-
versityof Wisconsin,whereheisnowAssistant ProfessorinArtEducationand
teachesbeginningandadvanceddrawing.Thisyearheisonleaveofabsence,devoting
himselffullvtocreativework.
