Neil Welliver, great American painter, father of Titus Welliver

Neil Welliver was one of America's greatest landscape painters. He was also the father of actor Titus Welliver. This 1992 video features a rare glimpse of his studio and working techniques.
www.tomfasano.com

[@christopherhouck547]

I knew him he was my teacher. He made it okay to be myself. I think he was the greatest painter of his time I preferred his work to the other realist image makers of his time. I still do. There is a lot there. I miss him, he had great presence, a small man in stature you could hear his foot steps coming up the stairs, expecting a giant

[@chrisp1355]

Came here after learning Titus paints...following in the footsteps of his Dad. Beautiful work.

[@richardclarke376]

Nice bit of Bosch backstory thanks for posting it

[@andreaandrea6716]

I absolutely disagree that the world would go on without Painting. It is as essential to life as food and insects and doctors. When I am creating, I forget to eat because I am nourished in a way that is PROFOUNDLY important. We would do well to look to this side of things in this insanity of STRESS that eats at our souls in our present day society. I think painting, ALL THE ARTS, is one of the answers to the terrible mal d'ésprit we suffer from. It doesn't have to be The Arts ... each Soul longs for SOMETHING. Listen to the longing. To say that Painting isn't important is to say that LIVING isn't important, only EXISTING.

[@chriswillcox5325]

Such a gifted painter. Old-school excellence.

[@AN-cy7xm]

Beautiful work. Seems like a difficult codger, but interesting.

[@marilynmccormick1658]

I enjoyed learning about the father of Titus. I didn't know anything about Neil and it was fascinating to hear a man speak about his environment and what he saw through his artist eyes.

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

Bosch's dad

[@kobusdutoitbosman6240]

…what an amazing experience to see how he goes about his art, his creative process, his thoughts, his ‘digging’ to find what he is looking for…there where nóbody else ventures, or éver goes. So, it is unique in indescribable ways, a multitude, cause Welliver himself does’nt even know - he finds his way within a space he calls ‘unrestrictive’, akin to ‘freedom’. Only he makes it, he creates it, himself. There is more. Another time. If he happens to be Titus’s Papa, its rather easy to see where he stems from, and to fathom why Harry Bosch is so real, so dramatic and classic, so ‘drenched’ in the integrity of his mantra ‘everybody counts, or nobody counts’. He absolutely GOES for the answer which he is looking for, the mystery he has to unravel, the justice he seeks and cleans up, the darknesses he wishes to focus his light of ‘making it right’ on… Yes, of course, there is more, MUCH more. I have to look more (more intense) at what i can see, absorb through Welliver’s thoughts, discoveries, unearthings, creativity, interpretations of that which is real and important to him. On canvas. And then you begin to find Titus, who leads you to Bosch, Harry Bosch. And that is where, when he becomes MORE than real through Michael’s character…And THAT’s why we are all so mesmorized by him, drawn to him admiringly, fascinated by him AND, why it is a good thing, a VERY good thing, when he remains an ENIGMA…(personifying ‘the unreachable stars’) sort of thing. See? Another time…more. Gotto think and feel some more, first. Make time. Generate renewed energy - in remote, undisturbed places near flowing waters, mountains and trees, find that Old Timer’s wooden cabin…and a fire, a dog, someone to Love other than Life, the passion of Life itself • This private glimpse into Welliver Snr’s world, Life, is a gifted sharing of the most extraordinary kind - THANK YOU kindly. 👊 🥂 🔥

[@joymatisse3628]

Incredible access to his studio. Capturing from start to finish the painting. Thank You.

[@victor-vc6oy]

I get that you do what you do because you just have to, like a poet or a musician just needs to express how they feel about our world but I want to thank you thank you thank you for your work. The immense effort, the years of slog you went through to hone your technique, the sheer physical effort expended just to express your feelings. Are you an angel who just wants to mirror the complexity and beauty of nature or do you do all this just to share it with us? As if the universe has not given us enough to marvel at, we have also been given the miraculous presence of great artists like you who slave away all their lives, willingly and inspired, to magnify and glorify the sublime beauty. THANK YOU.

[@liselip.871]

His process is fascinating, meticulous and exhausting. Great mini documentary! Thank you

[@marylem9277]

Mr. Welliver, has the gift of painting and capturing our Heavenly Father's creation the earth.

[@johnsilva703]

Amen

[@gvsharon]

Wonderful. Interesting man, beautiful paintings.

[@angelforceforyou]

Amazing insight into this beloved artist’s process

[@JohnMccart777]

A simple Very Big Thank You Sir.

[@mcgurkryans]

Ah… so this is the man who borne the Man in Black

[@kawi8507]

His son, Titus, looks so much like him.

[@dwaynesueno]

Thanks for posting this!

[@erniesandidge2394]

No one ever gave him an Electro-pounce.

[@alaindezii4445]

Nice down to earth person, a master nevertheless.

[@B-Hendricks]

Fantastic paintings, they look like photographs. Simply amazing!🎨❤❤

[@andreaandrea6716]

That's the problem; they look like photos...

[@normandblais5219]

Beautiful! A great man. Thank you for sharing.

[@kumkumjain9864]

xcellent descriptn of a quality lifestyle reqd fr personal fulfilment...

[@ExploringCabinsandMines]

I'm not a painter I dont have any paintings but I loved this glimpse into his life.

[@smolderingtitan]

I don't understand how the charcoal dust went through the tracing paper. Is it that porous?

[@ThomasFasano]

The wheel cutter he uses cuts tiny holes in the paper. The charcoal dust seeps through the holes.

[@smolderingtitan]

@@ThomasFasano thank you!

[@michaelnowak2340]

WOW!!! GREAT PAINTER!!!

[@hermineschrockenfuchs1789]

Ein großer Maler jetzt kann man sich etwas vorstellen danke es freut mich besonders das ich HÜHNER sehe die sie füttern ich liebe HÜHNER 🌺alles liebe HERMINE

[@ThomasFasano]

Yes, he loved to feed his chickens. He was an organic farmer as well as a great painter.

[@charles6762]

what does he mean painting on the surface

[@ThomasFasano]

He drew meticulous outlines of all the objects in his paintings, and then proceeded to paint from the top down, covering the surface of the canvas until he'd reached the bottom. He never went back over the painting once the surface was filled.

[@voiceprint101]

anyone know what he means when he says, "over the surface" 27:30 I know he's referring to the finish of the paint, but I am not sure of the meaning?

[@ThomasFasano]

His reference is to the surface of the canvas. He painted areas of color, starting at the top and working his way toward the bottom. In that way he painted over the surface of the canvas until it was filled with paint. He didn't apply paint atop paint or brush colors into other colors, as most painters do.

[@meloniesghost]

I had Neil Welliver's love child...

[@pattiray6816]

I’m confused. Titus has said he lived in a pretty rough black neighborhood but his dad was this very famous artist??

[@ThomasFasano]

My understanding is that Titus grew up in rural Maine.

[@treespirit2000]

Not necessarily incompatible things. The senior Welliver may not have been famous in his day or achieved recognition at that time. Some artists are poor earlier on.

[@owensweetland342]

@@ThomasFasano I was led to believe that Titus was born in New Haven CT.

[@MariaDeAngelusMcCoy]

Not sure if this applies but I was born and grew up in Maine for the majority of my childhood, but due to parent’s divorce we lived in an all black neighborhood in Pittsfield Massachusetts for 3 years (age 6-9). So it is possible! 😅 My father is a creative soul too, and designed and built our house in Windsor, Maine. But as it turns out I am the painter in our family! I’m so grateful for this precious video of Mr. Welliver and for Titus as Harry Bosch - my all time favorite show that is BRILLIANT on so many levels! Bosch captures me and even gets me through rough patches of anxiety. So cool to hear that Titus paints, I would love to own even a print of his work and/or his father’s work, especially since we have that Maine connection! NOTHING is more beautiful than Maine especially in the winter! The sun glistens off the snow and sparkles thru the icicles…the birch trees…it’s truly magical and worthy of painting!

[@patsmoot5181]

Beautiful work.

[@mech_king6531]

My grandfather is friends with his son

[@hermineschrockenfuchs1789]

Danke für den Beitrag ein ganz eifacher lieber Mensch der auch Hühner hat die ich auch so liebe🐔🐔🐔