Description
‘Woodsie’ by Thomas A. Gieseke
Artist: Thomas A. Gieseke
Title: ‘Woodsie’
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas
Dimensions: 30″ x 30″
Framing: Framed
Year of Creation: 2019
About the Artwork:
“I needed a name for the neon sign that went on the roller coaster- something like ‘Zephyr’ or ‘Cyclone’. I was reminiscing about my teen years at the moment and this name popped into my head. It was perfect.
I attended a high school that, at the time, was perched on the undeveloped edge of civilization. Literally, across the street were cornfields and trees that stretched for as far as anyone would want to see. Every now and then on Friday nights, several of my classmates would meet up in the sticks and have parties, far from the prying eyes of parental scrutiny. The music of the day would waft from 8-track cassette players. 3.2 beer would flow, and the air would be tinged with the scent of cigarettes, ditchweed, and the hint of carnal anticipation.
I’ve met other folks from faraway places who did the same thing. However, they either didn’t have a specific name for these get-togethers or they called them something other than what we called them. We called them ‘woodsies’.” – Thomas Gieseke
About the Artist:
(Artist Bio)
Thomas Gieseke was born 1952 in Kansas City, Missouri. He grew up in the Kansas City suburb of Overland Park, Kansas. That time growing up has defined much of what he does in his art. Basil Wolverton, Ed “Big Daddy” Roth, Salvador Dali were some of his early influences. Gieseke is self-taught and has been self-teaching ever since. He has had no real formal art training.
Gieseke was a professional illustrator for over 40 years. His illustrations have appeared in countless advertisements, greeting cards, posters, and magazines. His work has garnered numerous awards. The techniques he utilizes in his paintings comes directly from the skills he acquired as an illustrator over that period.