The Weilers’ Evolution: A Father and Son’s Artistic Journey
April 21 – July 2, 2017
A native of New York, M.C. Weiler was an internationally acclaimed watercolorist, master decoy carver, and illustrator. He lived the sporting life he depicted in his art, illustrating numerous sporting books and covers for magazines like Sports Afield. Endowed with his father’s artistic DNA, son Dale chose a three-dimensional medium, stone, to translate what he sees in nature. Dale Weiler took up stone sculpting following a successful career in management consulting and military service. Working to protect our wildlife and environment, his sculptures reflect his dedication to conservation and preservation programs. Dale and his wife Loti travel the world to expand their awareness and inspire his artistic appetite, and to continue the Weiler journey to honor and protect our natural world. Both father and son have received global accolades for their work. See more at weilerwoodsforwildlife.com.
Gatekeeper, Dale Weiler
M.C. Weiler by Dale Weiler
My father was born in Buffalo, New York in 1910. His interest in wildlife, and respect for conservation, was ingrained during his early life. Growing up hunting, fishing, and camping with his Dad at the family fishing camp, Milt not only loved the outdoors but blossomed as an artist, drawing and painting the scenery he experienced every day.
After graduating from the College of Fine Arts at Syracuse University where he excelled as both an artist and athlete, he accepted a job at the Garden City High School in NY, ultimately becoming head of the Art department. Teaching allowed him to support his growing family and still have summers off to pursue his outdoor interests of fishing, gunning, painting and carving. In addition to his teaching profession, he pursued a distinguished art career in the sporting art field. Along with his commission work for private clients, he illustrated numerous sporting books and magazine publications (including Derrydale Press and Winchester Press). Many of his paintings graced the covers of Sports Afield, Field and Stream and Outdoor Life.
Among my father’s many artistic accomplishments, the ones that stand out the most vividly in my mind are his inclusion in an international wildlife art exhibition in China in the early 1970’s; his painting of a Joe Lincoln wood duck being selected as the first Massachusetts Waterfowl Stamp; his numerous first place awards in the national decoy carving competition in Babylon, NY: and the inclusion of his artwork in the permanent collections of prestigious sporting and wildlife art museums across North America.
1965 Sports Afield “Fishing Annual”, M.C. Weiler
My father was the true sportsman and conservationist. He held a profound respect and love for the outdoors and lived for his time spent streamside, on the marsh or in the field. Throughout his life, he worked passionately and diligently for the causes of Audubon, Ducks Unlimited, the (now) Atlantic Salmon Federation and the American Museum of Fly Fishing (of which he was a founding trustee). He set a wonderful example for me and Loti to follow, as we pursue our own mission to preserve our wildlife, using artwork to both raise awareness and funding.
Dale Weiler and Loti Woods
We met in late 2015 at one of Dale’s art openings and married 5 months later. That fateful initial encounter enabled us to combine our broad range of international experiences, our business and organizational skills and our first hand knowledge of the art world along with our shared love for the environment and wildlife to embark on a new, exciting journey together.
Collectively, we have travelled the world visiting over 100 countries. Dale, along with 8 other international artists, toured national parks in Tanzania to photograph and then create sculptures of endangered and threatened species to increase global awareness of the plight facing African animals. In countries such as India, China, Guatemala, and throughout the US, we have seen first hand the accelerating degradation of our environment and the subsequent detrimental effect on our wildlife.
Moving forward, we will be educating ourselves and others on making a positive impact on conservation issues. We are presently exploring partnerships with land preservation groups, museums, research institutions and zoos with national as well as international field programs. Dale’s sculptures will continue to be available to private art collectors; our goal, however, is to use art to raise awareness and funds for protecting wildlife and our natural resources.
Dale: As a “late bloomer,” I waited until my mid 40s before immersing myself in my passion for sculpting stone. I had honored my father’s wishes not to pursue art since he believed it to be a financially unviable profession. However, the desire to sculpt, fueled by the artistic DNA inherited from both of my parents, was too great a force to resist, and I ultimately embraced my destiny in the mid 1990s.
Artist Dale Weiler Creates Bronze Owl Sculpture to Benefit RTPI
Announcing the release of a new Dale Weiler bronze owl sculpture created to support RTPI’s wildlife conservation programs. The bronze, “Elevated Perspective”, is a 9-inch rendering of a snowy owl, one of Peterson’s favorite species to paint and the icon for RTPI. It is also the first bronze Dale has created in the last ten years – he spent over a month creating the original sculpture from snowy alabaster to capture the subtle feathering and sensual beauty of the majestic snowy owl. The limited edition bronze is even more dramatic than the stone original with the feathering details accentuated by the patina process.
Limited edition bronze owl sculpture by Dale Weiler.
The bronze casting of Weiler’s original snowy owl sculpture was limited to 50 pieces, and these are currently available for purchase for $1500. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity and support the wonderful conservation programs of RTPI. Dale and his wife, Loti, are donating 100% of the profits to RTPI’s ‘Project Wild America’ initiative – a program which promotes experiencing nature in your own backyard. For more information, please visit weilerwoodsforwildlife.com or email loti AT weilerwoods.com.
