Happy birthday to you! You live in a zoo …

Eric and Deb with their “monkey” Cody
Birthday May 2, 2013

Chocolate cake and milk in a bowl!
Who does that? Eric does!

You’ve had ANOTHER birthday, a happy one you know. We’ll join in celebration because we LOVE YOU so!

Happy happy birthday we’ll sing loud and clear. May you have God’s BLESSINGS through the coming year!

Words to describe Dad, from his family:

Deb (wife & blog writer): loving, loyal, hard working and hilarious!

Ryan (son): Hard working, globe-trotter and committed

Autumn (daughter): Funny, squishy … as in tender and wild

Shawn (son): Confident, kind and responsible

Joey (son): uhum … coming

Cody (son): Playful, strict and hard

Words to describe Eric, from the Dowdle Folk Art team (our other family):

Wendy (Owner/Dir Sales): Energetic, talented, determined

Shari (Chief Operations): Quick-witted, sensitive, loud

Lynn (Chief Marketing): Creative, enthusiastic, and engaging

Kelly (Chief Communications): Child-like, hilarious, and animated

Julie (Dir Communication): Funny, perfectionistic and visionary

David (Mgr Customer Service): Passionate, industrious and quixotic

Ursula (Accounting): Exuberant, talented and energetic

Brad (Mgr Sales): Industrious, energetic and fun

Jim (IT & Web): Energetic, insightful and friendly

Susan (Mgr Office): Vivacious, animated and sensitive

Dustin (Framing): Frenetic

Mitch (Warehouse): creative, funny and confusing

Will (Warehouse): funny, enthusiastic and driven

Dowdle Folk Art Team 2013

Cincinnati

Cincinnati, by Eric Dowdle

Can you name one place that changed your life?

That was the question of the day on Traveling with Eric Dowdle. Well, you can imagine from the name of this post that Cincinnati was the place that changed Eric’s life.

Hyde Park Square Artshow 2011

Eric told a story of his grueling experience doing art festivals over the years. “An artist works so hard to introduce his name and product”. One difficult art festival that he mentioned in particular was one in Cincinnati, home of Hyde Park Square’s very popular art show. “This became one of those stressful festivals where your hair’s falling out and you get a twitch in your eye” Eric told us of this experience. Why? Because this year there was a tornado warning. In order to protect his booth he left his hotel at 1:00 a.m. and drove back to where he had set up his tent. With a bucketload of bungee cords he wrapped that tent like the world’s largest ball of string. “I wasn’t sure where the rest of the artists were” he said, but he was determined to “do whatever it took to hold on to the tent”. (Maybe the other artists knew something he didn’t?) The tornado didn’t hit the tents but he was pelted with dark wind and hail for hours as he diligently stood by with more cords. “I weathered it and felt like Caption Dan on Forrest Gump screaming from the top of my van and shaking my fist to the sky, ‘is that the best you can do?’” The storm passed and Eric went back to the hotel at 6:00 a.m. worn and wet. “It was at this moment that I had my life-changing moment” he declared. “I am never doing these things again!” And that was the last art festival he ever did. He worked all day with very little sleep knowing that this would be his last. But as many of you know, you would have never known he was so tired. Eric can find the energy and charm to do whatever he needs to do to keep the show moving forward. He loves the people with their smiles and energy, but oh how he doesn’t like the process of setting up each festival.

If you’re an artist and you’ve participated in these shows, you can surely relate! Right?

However, he did enjoy the beautiful and very American city of Cincinnati. As you can see in the painting above, Eric captured the essence of this City of Seven Hills. One of their most recognizable icons is the river boat tugging over the Ohio River. He lined the boats in American flag bunting indicating the city’s love of country. In the backdrop you’ll see the rolling hills of Cincinnati that Eric said “look particularly beautiful in the Fall.” He’s also featured the Riverfront Stadium or Great American Ballpark where you can catch an all American Cincinnati Reds game; which happens to be the first professional sports team organized in the US.

This city is home to both the Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals. It’s also hosts large events such as the Flying Pig Marathon, the Ohio Valley Jazz Festival, and the Thanksgiving Day race. The city’s signature food is its famous chili commonly served over spaghetti or used as a hot dog sauce (a little different from mainstream US). Cincinnati is also known for its large collection of historic architecture.

This city’s love of culture and fine art is evident when visiting Over-the-Rhine, a neighborhood just to the north of downtown Cincinnati, boasting some of the world’s largest collections of Italianate architecture, rivaling similar neighborhoods in New York City, Vienna and Munich in size and scope. In the late 1800s, Cincinnati was commonly referred to as ‘Paris of America,’ mainly due to significant architectural projects, like the Music Hall, the Cincinnatian Hotel, and the Shillito Department Store.

Linda Antus

Special Guest

According to Linda Antus, President & CEO of the Cincinnati USA Regional Tourism Network, this beautiful city is “steeped in history and tradition”. She stated that Cincinnati has been going through a renaissance over the last 10-15 years. She said that Over the Rhine is the “Greenwich Village of Cincinnati” and she highly recommends a visit, especially for their new restaurants. In particular, Linda told us that Cincinnati is famous for the oldest continuously family-owned ice cream parlor in the US, Graeters Ice Cream. Even Oprah Winfrey is a regular patron of this parlor.

Here you must seek out the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, a museum that remembers and honors the more than 100,000 enslaved people seeking freedom through the underground railroad in the 1800s. Eric happened to spend a considerable amount of time and research in this place and highly recommends a visit. Both Lind and Eric talk about “the cut in the hill” saying it’s the best view in the whole city. Learn more about that.

We’ve learned that Cincinnati is a great place to look for hidden treasures.

What have you found in this beautiful American city? 

It is finally here! 

Yay! It’s here!

We’ve just published a new book, Nauvoo, Featuring the Art of Eric Dowdle. This has been a collaborative effort where Eric did the art, I combiled the text and my stepson Brennan Thompson did the design. All in the family! We hope you enjoy it. It’s surely a family treasure for us. Click here to order. 

Old Jerusalem Key, by Eric Dowdle

Here is the Old Jerusalem Key by Eric Dowdle. We’ve created a key where you can search the icons, stories and parables of Jesus on this beautiful piece of art. Go to Dowdle Folk Art to see the original painting up close and to buy prints or puzzles.

JERUSALEM KEY

• 1. The Crucifixion
• 2. The Good Shepherd (save the one)
• 3. Sermon on the Mount
• 4. Cleansing the Temple
• 5. Baby Jesus being presented at the Temple
• 6. Loaves and Fishes
• 7. Boy Jesus Teaching at the Temple
• 8. Separate the Goats and the Sheep
• 9. The Sign of Christ’s Birth
• 10. Gethsemane
• 11. A Prophet Preaching
• 12. “Ye are the Salt of the Earth”
• 13. The Prodigal Son
• 14. Parable of the Rich Man and the Beggar
• 15. “Behold I Stand at the Door and Knocketh”
• 16. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen
• 17. Christ Healing the Lame
• 18. John the Baptist
• 19. Remember the Slavery in Egypt
• 20. The Savior takes up His Cross
• 21. Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet
• 22. The Woman Touching the Hem of His Garment
• 23. Parable of the Talents
• 24. Mary and Martha with the Savior
• 25. The Three Wise Men
• 26. Mary & Joseph
• 27. Peter Denies the Christ and the Cock Crows – Three Times 28. The Widow’s Mite
• 29. Ox in the Mire
• 30. The Woman at the Well
• 31. Turning Water into Wine (some are a little too happy)
• 32. John the Baptist with Eliza-beth
• 33. The Kingdom is Like Unto Children – Come Unto Me
• 34. The Rich Man Who Came by Night
• 35. Mary Washing the Savior’s Feet
• 36. Christ Introducing the Sacrament
• 37. Jesus and the Centurion Servant
• 38. Christ Heals the Blind
• 39. Give Away all Thy Riches and Come Follow Me
• 40. Zacharias Climbs a Tree to See
• 41. Judas with 30 Pieces of Silver
• 42. Becoming Fishers of Men
• 43. Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to Peter
• 44. The Savior Learns of Lazarus Dieing
• 45. The Savior’s Triumphal Entry
• 46. The Ten Virgins
• 47. The Leper Returns to Thank
• 48. The Good Samaritan
• 49. The Parable of the Sower

The Holy City

Jerusalem, by Eric Dowdle

Eric had to do some time travel to old Jerusalem for this painting! I think we ALL would have liked to join him on this particular trip.

The timing for this post is quite apropos due to the Easter holiday we’ve just celebrated as well as the History Channel’s The Bible. The series created a draw of millions of viewers, the Dowdle family included, sending a beautiful message to Hollywood that as a nation, we’re hungry for meaningful entertainment. I wasn’t asked to give this series a plug, but I wanted to. It was, in my opinion, a remarkable rendition of the old and new testament. We only wished there were another 10 hours of stories to enjoy.

“When I think of Jerusalem, I think of the Savior’s Jerusalem”, Eric told us when he was deciding how he wanted to depict the Holy City. In this paining, he has created vignettes of New Testament stories and the parables of Jesus. I’ll add a key in another post so you can study the detail and learn where each story can be found.

As a teaser I’ll ask you one question. Can you find the lone black sheep in the painting? Eric is what I dare call a salt-aholic. In honor of the “salt of the earth” parable, he drew in a guy carrying a salt shaker. Turning water into wine was Jesus’ first recorded miracle. Find the two guys who got pretty excited about that.

A scary story behind the painting

There was a lot of research, prayer and time (about 3 mo) that went into this important painting. Eric planned to submit it to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints International Art Competition. Shortly before his submission he had to leave town for an event in Las Angeles. He called me at home and asked if I’d take the painting to be scanned. It was a pretty sturdy piece, painted on 1/2 inch masonite, so I felt pretty confident about transporting an original piece of art. I was soon proved wrong. As I was carrying the piece out of Eric’s studio it became unsettled as I tried to balance it and open the door. It fell!

Eric said he could remember exactly where he was when I called him; “in the parking lot of Lucky’s”. His account is that I cried, “I’ve ruined it! I dropped your painting!” I’m not a dramatic person—very even keel. But I’m sure he was right. I was devastated. Eric said, “a calmness came over me even though I had never heard my wife this upset.  I said, ‘Honey, I love you, not the painting … how bad is it?’”

After my husband flew home he took a look at the piece. I had broken the corner off, not too far from the lone star in the sky. Eric was relieved. He fixed it with glue and then repainted it. “I’m not a reconstructive artist” he lamented but seemed satisfied.

“Honey, I love you, not the painting.”

After the competition was over, Eric delived the original to Jim Bagley, owner of Grace Company, who had commissioned the piece. In full disclosure, Eric told Jim the whole story pointing out the small evidences of damage on the corner. Jim accepted the piece and said with a smile, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

On the Traveling with Eric Dowdle show, Eric explained “I couldn’t possibly get upset with my wife after all the work I invested in painting the Savior. Had I reacted any other way, it would have ruined the painting.” Kelly Warnick (cohost) said he thought the story increased the value of the art. I don’t know. I’m just thrilled that it all worked out okay. And needless to say, I haven’t transported another painting. Who needs that kind of stress!

Wayne Brickey

Wayne Brickey, BYU educator, author and Israel tour guide, was our special guest on the Traveling with Eric Dowdle radio show. He told us that we could walk the sacred streets of Israel “although there is about 15-20 feet of rubble between our feet and where the Savior would have walked”. The exception would be a few places where it has been restored to the very place where our Savior would have walked. He knew these places well.

Mr. Brickey recommended to our listeners that they take a guided tour to Golgotha and the Garden Tomb, as well as the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and Wilson’s Arch (across from Damascus Gate). “People have told me that their first visit to Israel ended up being a waste because they didn’t have someone educated to show them the sites and tell them the stories”. And Mr. Brickey tells those stories so beautifully. Listen to show.

Dispelling common travel fears, Mr. Brickey claims that Israel is “a safe place to visit”. He said, “In all the times I’ve been there—and there have been many trips—I’ve never run into a violent situation.” It’s surely on my bucket list!