Theodore Waddell is a very talented artist from Montana. At the age of 17, he went to New York to study art at the Brooklyn Museum Art School. While there, he was influenced by many abstract expressionists. He eventually completed an undergraduate degree at Eastern and went on to get a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture at Wayne State University. In 1968, he took on a position teaching art at the University of Montana. He taught there for eight years, making his minimalist-inspired sculptures. 

 

Later, Waddell quit teaching and went into ranching in Molt, MO with no experience whatsoever. His 11 years of ranching and making art in Molt shaped him into the artist that he is today. The change from living among the closed in mountains north of Missoula to the wide-open plains surrounding Molt came as a major jolt to Waddell's sense of scale.

 

In 1983 Washington D.C.'s Corcoran Gallery of Art showed several pieces of Theodore's art in country-wide tour. The exhibit was reviewed by the Washington Post and the New York Times - both reviews favorably singled out Waddell's work.  Soon after, critic Mark Stevens wrote an article titled "Art Under the Big Sky" in an October 1983 issue of Newsweek in which Waddell figured prominently.  Soon after, galleries in San Francisco, Seattle, Santa Fe, Chicago, and New York began representing Waddell.

 

In addition to paintings and sculptures, Theodore is surrounded by his four Bernese Mountain Dogs. As many of us do, Theodore fell in love with his dogs and they soon inspired him to create art pieces with Berners as the main point of focus. Last year, Waddell just published a book titled "Tucker Gets Tuckered," which features paintings of his dogs.  The book has been received favorably by the publishing industry and the Berner community. (The Berner-Garde Foundation has sold many copies and will be doing so again at this year's National Specialty.)

 

Theodore Waddell loves his dogs as all of us love our own and has come to adore the Bernese breed. When he heard about the 2008 Health Fund Auction and how the proceeds would benefit health studies so that this breed and others can potentially have longer and healthier lives, he insisted that he donate one of his pieces to the auction. I was blown away by his offer as much of his work is displayed in major museums - including the Smithsonian.

 

He chose to donate a bronze sculpture of a laying Berner modeled after one of his own dogs. The sculpture captures the tranquility of a Berner at rest. It is number 18/20 of a limited edition. This museum piece is done in the minimalist style and would look stunning in your home or office.