Friday, January 25, 2013

Ted Goerschner

Ted painting in the Los Olivos Quick Draw
 Ted Goerschner
1933 - 2012
When I was painting with PACC down in Santa Barbara recently one of the members told me that Ted Goerschner had passed away right before Christmas. I was working on a painting at the time and was stunned to hear of his passing. The rest of my time painting was spent thinking about Ted. The one thing I personally know about Ted is that he was such a nice man and that I wish I had known him more than just that.
I first met Ted when we were both setting up our gear for the Los Olivos Quick Draw 2 years ago. Ted was represented by the same gallery I am in down in Pasadena, Galerie Gabrie. I'm positive Ted didn't know this since we had never met so I walked up to him and introduced myself. I had heard he was a straight forward no nonsense kinda guy and could be intimidating. It turned out he was super nice and I liked him instantly. 
If you have never seen Teds work that's probably too bad for you. You'd probably have to look it up online but I can tell you now you will only see pale images of Teds work. I had only seen his work for years online and thought it was good. Then, at our studio tour a few years back I saw my first Goerschner painting in person....hugh difference. If you ever get the chance to see one of Ted's paintings in person you will be in for a major treat...his color work was just awesome. Rich darks, intensive brights and a wonderful range in between. You really have to see one of his works in person to really get the full effect of a Goerschner painting. I have Ted's book on painting, "Oil Painting, The Workshop Experience", and in it he has the most killer dark greens in his snow scenes. Ted also had the most wonderful purple/violet color for distant mountains and a great violet tone used for shadows. Some guys make you drool with their painting and Ted could do that easily. Ted was a Master Painter for sure and he is going to be sorely missed by many.      

9 comments:

Randall said...

It's sad to hear of someone your really like passing away. I've never heard of Ted Goerschner and looked at the book on Amazon and immediately the cover art reminded me of Charles Reids work. Really nice paintings.

~Randall

Ron Guthrie said...

Hi Randall,
Ted had such a great look to his work; vibrant, fresh and wonderful color notes throughout the painting. I really loved his rich darks. The one time that I did speak with him he was just a great easy going guy with a warm smile. Now I need to look up Charles Reid ! Thanks Randall.

Judy Crowe said...

I took a couple of workshops from Ted years ago. He was a wonderful guy. I own one of his paintings too and I still love it after all these years.

Ron Guthrie said...

Hi Judy,
I wish I owned one of Ted's paintings :) I've seen a couple at Galerie Gabrie in Pasadena where both of our work is represented that I wish I had bought. By the time I knew Ted his workshops were mainly 1 day critique sessions done locally at his place in Santa Ynez I think. Really sweet guy.

Kathy D said...

I studied with Ted, back when...I took the workshop because we owned a painting of his, then I bought another at the workshop at Asilomar. Love them still. A few of us used to sneak out for a "human sized" breakfast in town, since the onsite fare seemed to be intended for really big cowboys needing to ride the range all day!He was such fun!

Wish I'd noted the exact date, but sometime late last year there was a large crashing noise in my house. Investigating, I found the small chapel painting from the beach at Carmel, which had been happily displayed on a shelf for years, had suddenly fallen onto the tile floor. At the time I thought...well, it was a passing thought, but it would be very much like Ted, wouldn't it?

Ron Guthrie said...

Hi Kathy,
Nice having two of Ted's paintings plus the fun of the workshop...lucky you! I can't imagine sneaking out for less food ! I think I would have stayed with Ted for the hearty meal, haha.

Kind of eerie about the painting falling like that...I was once watching a movie, a spooky movie, on a saturday afternoon and some candles we had got too hot from the heat wave we were in and fell out of their holders on the wall and it scared the heck out of me at the time until I realised why they fell, hahaha. Hope the painting was alright. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

I met Ted back in 1960, very candid, impressive person whom you’d like right away.

Ted and his wife Joan were friends of my parents in Pt. Pleasant, NJ. He was a cool, hip guy and an avid sailor.

To a young teen, I was especially impressed seeing a photo of him as a Marine Guard for the Unknown Soldier at Arlington, VA, an elite duty for only the best enlisted men.

As a family friend, he docked his meticulously maintained, 20’ wooden sailboat at our backyard canal a few blocks from his home.

Ted and Joan were outgoing and would instill a higher level of interest and energy to any room of people.

Ted was teaching at painting at a local guild, my mom took a few classes there too.

Seemed like a real artist to me: he was doing some work with an ad agency then, but it was the canvas and his classes that would light him up. Color, glazing, subjects, style, brushes or Andrew Wyeth were always in his conversations. A canvas was always at his home or studio in the process of ending up framed and sold at a gallery.

He was doing a lot of seascape and loved the New England coast. I also recall our family and his sharing a summer rental in Nantucket for a one-man show he did in August of 1965. He admired the paintings of Roy Bailey who was a resident painter on Nantucket and they had a mutually great respect and rapport.

After I went off to school in NYC, I gradually lost contact with Ted as well as the fact that he had become divorced and had moved to parts unknown.

I finally discovered his work on line last year but it didn’t look like it would be very easy to contact him. I regret I held back reaching out to him. I may even have a color photo of him in his fine sailboat. If I can find it I will pass it on to the right party.

He made a name for himself many years ago. I may also have the spread from American Artist Magazine from the ‘90’s stowed away.

He did well: his parents must have been proud as they were hard working shop owners of a wonderfully hardware store in Point Pleasant.

Ted will always be remembered to me as a very robust, charismatic person who was meant to leave a dynamic legacy.

RIP Ted, thanks for spending your time so well here for so many.

Ed Duquette
Cape Coral, FL

PS. I will be sure my brother takes good care of your oil sketch from '61. Thanks again.

Ron Guthrie said...

Hi Ed,
That was a great read and very enlightening. I'm really learning much more about Ted now with these posts. I wish I had known about his sailing endeavors and owning the wooden sailboat you mentioned. I would have loved to talk to him about that since I too have a love of boats...especially wooden ones.

Thanks so much for sharing your recollections of this fine painter and good man....and I would totally take care of that painting from 1961.
Ron

Carl Heineck said...

Ted (mainly Ted) nd I ran a life studio in Point Pleasant Beach for a number of years. He was my neighbor also. I wa an art director and Ted was one too, but loved his painting more. I traded him one of my classic car renderings for an oil of a small sloop on a beach in Point Pleasant Beach. Still have it. Lots more to the story but he was a heck f a painter! Good fried then too. Lost track of him after he divorced Joan. Sorry to hear of his passing. Carl Heineck.