The Art of Lester Raymer

Earlier this week I shared the general studio area and grounds of the Red Barn Studio and Museum.  Today, I would like to share a small sampling of Lester Raymer’s works.  Raymer was born in 1907, and worked as an artist until his death in 1991.

Raymer was very accomplished in an extensive variety of mediums including painting, sculpting, carving, pottery, woodworking, metal work, fiber arts….. you get the idea!  I also love how he repurposed sardine tins, erasers, farm tools, spools, and so much more into his diverse artwork.  The photo above shows his oil on wood painting “Enigma II” and also some of his carved horses and embellished trunks.

This is my favorite of the many watercolor pieces housed in the museum.  I love the little gnome style children carrying the Japanese kite.

Sacred, iconic style art was one of Raymer’s common themes. The twelve apostles turn up in places like the brick wall of the patio, on furniture, or in wood carvings.  He created numerous mother and child paintings and figurines as well.

There are many versions of these little gesso covered fabric creations.  This Mary has yarn hair and baby Jesus is holding a ball made from a used eraser!

I also love his fabric based wall hangings. Some of them have very elaborate detail. If you look  closely you can see some jewelry and other creative embellishments in this piece.

So many different styles make me feel better about my own diverse artistic forays!  This man must have truly loved creativity in every form!

More pieces include circus or jester themes, lots of roosters, lino cut prints, ceramics and metal work!

I like this painting of the Illustrated Man, painted shortly after the Ray Bradbury book by that name was published.

Raymer also altered a lot of furniture by adding molding or carvings, or in this case, a fascinating painting.

If you would like to learn more about Lester Raymer, I recommend this book, available from The Red Barn Studio gift shop.  I also encourage you to make a visit to the Red Barn Studio where you can take a free tour of the museum and grounds.

And if you want to purchase a Raymer work… consider this one!