A good work of art captures the essence of the subject as seen through the artist’s eye. A great work of art exposes the inner workings of the artist and connects with the viewer on a human level.

I preface this article stating that I tend to avoid writing pieces that have a personal or emotional connection with me; Yet who better to write about an artist’s career that has spanned nearly five decades than someone who has seen it firsthand?

I’m talking about my father, Raymond J. Wattenhofer, Jr. He is the quintessential example of the man who has absorbed everything the world has to offer and, in turn, has captured those experiences on canvas. Judging from the point at which his walk through this world began, one would think that he would be the last to express his observations on life through brush and canvas. And yet that is the medium he chose to tell his story and, in turn, change the perspective of each person who sees his pieces.

Raymond entered adulthood as a seasoned Midwestern rancher and horseman who, by the time he was seventeen, had amassed his own impressive herd of cattle and quickly learned the basics of becoming a successful rancher. The Vietnam War was in full swing, and in search of adventure, he enlisted in the United States Coast Guard and worked his way into an elite search and rescue team stationed off the waters of Puerto Rico. The idea of ​​this may spark an adventurous passion in a young man, but there was a dark side: he and his team were responsible for collecting corpses after major conflicts and plane crashes. This experience affected him deeply for years to come and became the critical juncture in his evolution from boy to man … and from man to artist.

After the war, he and my mother moved back to the Midwest, at which point he embraced the isolationist lifestyle and became a staunch, self-reliant do-it-yourself: raising honey bees, growing your own food, making the his own. alcohol and even creating paper products from raw materials. It was then that the need to express himself through art began to burn in his stomach and he soon erupted into an inferno of artistic passion.

He taught himself the lost wax process to create bronze sculptures, and although my family was extremely poor, he managed to scrape off the materials to build his own foundry. What was a very prolific period of sculptural creation to which he transferred his knowledge of livestock and created magnificent pieces that captured the essence of the western horseman and cattleman. He even created a handful of heroic life-size pieces that are currently on display across the country.

As his artistic evolution continued, it became clear to connoisseurs that his work was extremely cathartic and, very slowly, the darkness of his soul faded. But the deep-seated anguish that he had felt for years would not completely subside until it was taken to the next level. One day he woke up and decided it was time to become an oil painter.

Years of frustration followed as he painfully learned oil painting techniques that would fully capture the essence of what he was striving to convey. But technique is only part of what makes a great painter: you have to be willing to risk everything and expose your soul to the world. Until an artist is willing to remain naked and vulnerable to the world, he will never connect with his viewers. This was the most difficult hurdle for Raymond to overcome. He was raised with a “take your own water” mentality, where real men were strong and quiet and never exposed personal weakness.

There is nothing sadder than an artist with great technique but who is not willing to get involved in his work: technically competent pieces, yes. And yet completely heartless. It takes a great leap of faith to transcend our own fears and tell the world, “This is the real me, warts and all.” You want your viewer to stand and contemplate your work, make them want to see it through your eyes as the real you sees it. If they leave with a new perspective, seeing the world a little differently and therefore changed, you will have achieved your goal.

Years of blood, sweat and tears have paid off for Raymond. You’ve accomplished what all great artists must accomplish to take your artwork to the next level – expose your joys, your pains, your sorrows, and your flaws and the world will love you even more. Don’t fear your own humanity because that’s what connects you to the rest of us.