Meet Gerald J. Fritzler | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gerald J. Fritzler and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gerald, why did you pursue a creative career?
I believe it was something that I was born with, as it was there within me and needed to come out! As a child in grade school I was always sketching and drawing pictures and had an artistic sense of creativity! Entering a few art competitions I was rewarded with praise and awards, and that excited and enthused me even more to continue my artistic path into the future. My parents supported my interest in the arts and purchased art materials for me to use so that I could paint when the inspiration hit me. Throughout my high school years I continued to hone my drawing and painting skills but needed so much more of the basics and fundamentals of art. After graduating, my sole interest was in an artistic career. I studied at the Art Institute of Chicago one summer, then I applied and was accepted as an art student at the prestigious American Academy of Art. For the next three and a half years I learned everything I could about fine and commercial art. Three of my instructors there were the most influential to me in my studies. Mike Desatnick in fundamentals, Bill Parks in drawing, and Irving Shapiro in watercolor all gave me the foundation I needed to continue in this exciting and challenging career.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art career had started as an Illustrator in a commercial art studio in Milwaukee, WI. There I Illustrated in watercolor and acrylics during the week and created watercolor paintings on weekends for shows and galleries! It was a busy and demanding time but the writing started to show up on the wall as Illustration was slowly changing into photography and then to digitally created work on computers. As this change approached, my watercolors were getting into galleries out west and major shows including, the American Watercolor Society in New York City, and the National Academy of Western Art at the Cowboy Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City. Finally one day, I walked into the studio and told them I was leaving and heading west to pursue my quest to paint full time and become one of the countries top watercolor artists.

I’m most proud of the fact that I am a Signature Member of The American Watercolor Society, National Watercolor Society, Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Colorado Watercolor Society, Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Society, and the Plein Air Painters of America , Emeritus Member.

For 45 years I worked solely in traditional watercolor, painting landscapes, seascapes, street scenes, European scenes, figures, etc. About three years ago I did not paint for a few months then went into my studio and started painting a watercolor abstract.
What a creatively exciting and challenging experience that was!! Something totally new and completely different than what I had ever done. Today I am creating abstract acrylics on canvas as well as painting in traditional watercolor! What a Life!!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife Irene, deserves the most credit as she has supported my journey in art for the past 49 years. Her love, encouragement and understanding have made a huge difference in my career as an artist. When I am in doubt, or have a question about a certain painting she gives me her input, and that has made a difference in a number of my works! Over the years we have both gained a tremendous amount of artistic knowledge as we traveled to many art shows around the country that I was involved with, visited art museums, traveled around the world, and represented and sold art out of our own gallery, Fritzler Fine Art for 17 years.

My greatest inspiration as a watercolor artist, has come from the works of two great painters, John Singer Sargent, and Donald Teague. Visiting with Donald at his home in Carmel a number of years ago made a big impact on me as well as his stories of traveling around the world capturing many different countries and cultures. His small watercolors were hanging all around in his home and inspired me to paint in that similar size as well on many of my painting trips both here at home and abroad. Sargent’s expressive on location watercolors from around the world have excited me emotionally for many years and I have acquired most of the books published about his wonderful works!

Walter Gray and Dan Blanchard of the Grapevine Gallery in Oklahoma City were also very instrumental in my career. They produced, directed and hosted the “Creative Crafts” television show as well as running their own very fine art gallery. I was well represented in their gallery along with numerous other nationally known artists. Over the years I did ten TV shows with them which were run on Saturday mornings supported by the local Metropolitan Library System.

Bill Rey of Claggett Rey Gallery in Edwards, CO has also been a huge mentor and supporter of my watercolors as well as my recent abstract acrylics. I have been very fortunate to know and spend time with Bill and his family over the years and we have become very close! We share a lot of personal thoughts about art and the art world when we get together as well as a discussion about the latest art books of which he seems to always have! Claggett Rey Gallery is the finest gallery in Colorado and I’m very proud to have been represented in it for many years.

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