Owen William Weber Illustration

I have just finished another two paintings in my ongoing Prehistoric Creatures series.  The most recent four in the series have all been mammals that lived millions of years after the dinosaurs went extinct.  I plan to do seven of these mammals and then go back to dinosaurs, maybe group them into Prehistoric Creatures Series 1, Series 2, etc.  They are all for sale, but they have been snatched up quick, so if anyone as inquiries on pricing, please email me at owweberillustration@gmail.com . I have been doing pencil portraits of many prehistoric animals on my instagram account, and these two have gotten the most likes, which is a great way of knowing which creature to paint next for this series.  Smilodon is very well know.  Along with the Woolly Mammoth, it's one of the most well known extinct creatures from the Early Pleistocene era.  It was only a matter of time before I was going to paint this guy.  I wanted to show it in a way that was not ofte...

A Winter's Dream , 17" x 11", Oil on Paper on Masonite, 2015. Back in August, the 6th to be exact, Sarah and I welcomed our baby girl, Dagmar, into the world.  She is now turning 6 months old and I am just now getting around to posting the first blog post since the summer.  She's a lot of work, but not enough to excuse my laziness about this blog.  Anyways, for the past three years I have done a Nisse painting as my Winter card, but for some reason I just wasn't in the mood to come up with a new Nisse painting, and I just didn't feel like I had a great composition in mind this winter.  So I looked to my new muse.  I took a picture one morning of her sleeping, and worked in some creatures, new and old, real and surreal into the winter landscape around her.  I've always wondered what she dreams, I can't imagine her dreams look like this, but I thought it was a cool idea. Also, I have been doing a One Sketch A Day sketchbook since New Year's, so ...

A week ago, my wife and I went upstate to the Catskills for Independence Day.  Being away from the city is a necessary ritual I have every few months, whether it be the Berkshires to see my family or going to Fleischmanns, NY for a long weekend, it is an easy way to control my sanity living in one of the largest cities in the world with a constant onslaught of crowds.  I need silence, mountains, trees, farm animals, and the occasional bear threat.  The Catskills are the perfect getaway.  Though, because it is never for that long, I rarely have the chance to draw and almost never paint.  This time I got an entire week off from work, so we got an extended vacation up there, and I finally got to do a painting en plein-aire. Roxbury, NY, 11.5" x 9.5", Oil on Masonite, 2013  I found a spot, with the help of my wife's knowledge of the area's vistas, on the side of a road, near a nice old barn, in Roxbury.  The first day was very overcast, and whats nice...

This year I am fully immersed in Danish culture. Sarah and I are talking a Danish language course at NYU, we are reading all about Danes in the Xenophobes guide to Denmark, and we are planning our trip to Denmark next year. So, it only naturally feels like our Yule holiday card should be based on a Danish Christmas folklore. The Nisse is a very small gnome-like character who tends to the farm when the farmers are asleep. But he is also very mischievous if you are not kind to him and he will upset your favorite animal or play tricks on you in the night. He is also know to bring the presents on Christmas Eve. In Denmark, this is a very lovable character and most people decorate their trees or houses with his likeness. The Nisse, 17" x 12", Oil on Paper on Masonite, 2012.

No Further, 14" x 24", Oil on Paper on Masonite, 2012  Finally, I have finished this piece.  I photographed the model back in October, finished the drawing in November, then got a couple jobs, planned a wedding, got married and went on a honeymoon.  Once we got back from Croatia, I finally had some time to paint. This piece is meant to be in something of a series that I'm slowly working on with "December Maple".  They both have a similar feeling, with a figure reacting to and interacting with nature.  I want to show a sense of memory with these paintings, a feeling of solitude, oneness with nature, and a slight sense of longing.  This piece is more tragic than "December Maple", there's more despair and loss with this piece.  I can't wait to work on more of this series, it really gives me fulfillment as an artist.

Hello Everyone, I haven't been able to show you all any of my most recent pieces because they all have non-disclosure agreements, those will come in time.  I am here to tell you that my "December Maple" piece is now on display at the Society of Illustrators in the Uncommissioned category.  I will be up until January 21st.  If you are in the Manhattan area between now and then, please stop by, it's a truly wonderful gallery and I guarantee that you will see great art.  Have a wonderful day. Owen

I have been a member of the Dalton Arts Guild since I was in hight school.  They have always been extremely supportive of my artwork.  I got my first award for art from them, which was a 1st Place Student Award for a clay sculpture called "Cautious Tapir", that was 10 years ago.  Last Saturday I was awarded Best in Show for my "December Maple" painting.  This is my most satisfying award to date because of my feelings toward this piece.  It has become one of my favorite piece's that I have done so far.  Most especially because I feel I finally captured my lovely fiance's essence in a painting.  It is also very dear to me that they chose the painting of mine that most captures the Berkshire's they way I think of it.  It is a quite place and a solemn place.  Thank you again to the Dalton Arts Guild.  The show is in Miller's Art Supply at 205 West St, Pittsfield, MA 01201.  "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" is also on display and for sale. ...