"HIS AUTUMN YEARS”
On October 3, 2009, 100 lucky people were not only treated to the opening show of Richard Neevel's paintings of Wisconsin wildlife but also were electrified and energized by the music of the Aaron Wiener Jazz Quintet. Aaron, a grandson of Richard and current resident of Minneapolis, put together a group of fellow musicians that had the rafters ringing in the WOWSPACE. Aaron's trumpet and flugelhorn calls to Willie Moore on tenor saxophone were answered with verve while Aaron Ollswang on guitar, Ben Kelly on acoustic bass and Erick Ballard on drums all had their own flamboyant riffs. Had the audience been asked, the vote would have been unanimous that this is a group of musicians who should continue to make music together.
Richard Neevel was one of the lucky ones. He discovered his passion--art and oil painting--not as a young man but rather in his autumn years. His creative years after retirement were probably the most rewarding and stimulating of his life, having started painting after retirement from his lifetime work as a foreman at the National Rivet Company in Waupun, Wisconsin.
Because he grew up near the Horicon Marsh with a lifelong love of the outdoors, it was only natural that he would begin to paint the birds and animals of Wisconsin once he was freed of his factory job. An occasional sketch of awesome galloping horses had delighted his children but work, gardening, hunting, fishing, remodeling and repairing the house had taken up his time. Spurred by his children gifting him with a set of oil paints on his retirement and the encouragement of his wife, Margaret Hull Neevel, everything changed. A few painting classes set things in motion; but it was his passion for creating art, so many ideas that he sometimes couldn't sleep that led him to create a prodigious body of work. Some paintings he sold; some he gave to others.
For the first time, more than 60 of his paintings were shown together with some of his wildlife carvings. HIS AUTUMN YEARS was enjoyed by many visitors over the 4 weekends it was exhibited at the WOWSPACE. His children: Mary Keepers, Neenah; Connie Loomans Madison; Elaine Diffor, Wittenberg; Jeannie Neevel/Wiener, Shorewood and Rick Neevel, Kalamazoo, MI, worked hard to bring this show together. In addition, they sponsored the concert at the opening event. This show has now traveled to the Marsh Haven Visitor Center at the Horicon Marsh, only fitting as Richard and Margaret Neevel both worked there as volunteers. Richard's family is delighted and we at the Walls of Wittenberg, Inc are pleased as well to have sponsored this first ever showing of the art of Richard Neevel.