Rick Ewigleben is an a full-fledged, all-out-life-long Wizard of Oz
devotee who has gone entirely digital in his desire to re-create the
characters he's loved since he was introduced to them as child.
The illustrator first watched the Wizard of Oz on his family's black
and white 13-inch television. 'I didn't even know the MGM classic was
in color until the neighbors invited us over to share the experience of
their new television set. 'I was seven,' he says, 'and I was
enthralled. It was a WOWZER in color, and then, when I finally got to
see it on the big screen in Valparaiso, it just blew me away.'
Ewigleben never forgot the characters - the lessons they learned and
the lessons they taught - but it also never occurred to him to be
anything but a fan until a friend and Oz co-hort suggested he visit
Chesterton, Indiana to see what goes on during the wacky Wizard of
Oz weekend each September. He did. He was hooked.
'I illustrate greeting cards and children's books,' he says, 'so the
fabulous Oz characters fall right into line with my more serious work.
'Photoshop has made my career,' he admits. 'It was my springboard. It
launched me as an illustrator.' He begins by creating original line
drawings and, through a series of digital layers, applies the colors,
shadows, highlights, and nuances which make the characters pop. He
even scanned a piece of burlap to capture the texture of the scarecrow's
face in his recent project.
'Now I have my own way of bringing Toto and Dorothy, the Tin Man, Cowardly Lion and Scarecrow to life through colorful art,' he says from his studio in Chicago's Rogers Park neighborhood. What will propel him further down the Yellow Brick Road? 'Maybe Oz mugs. Maybe Judy mousepads,' he says, '..maybe Tin Man placemats.'
Along with other artists, authors, memorabilia collectors, Judy Garland and Wizard of Oz fans, Ewigleben will display his work at the 2005 Judy/Oz Exchange on Saturday, September 17 from 8:00 - 10:00 pm (CST.) Admission is $4 for adults and $2 for children under 12.
The Exchange is a key event of the September 16-18 Chesterton, Indiana Wizard of Oz Festival - the oldest and largest celebration of Oz in the country, organized by Lakeshore Festival & Events, Inc.
