Ardis Sturdy Signed Watercolor'Winnie The Pooh' Framed Matted Under Glass

  

Whimsy meets abstract meets watercolor nature scene. Some have said the artist once worked in the Disney Studios but this is unconfirmed.

Either way a great piece for a budding artist or those young at heart. The field looks to be in very nice condition.

She taught art in Minnesota and worked in various art fields in California before moving to Colorado in 1952 with her husband, Don W. Soon after her arrival, she became a member of the Denver Art Club, -she is noted as participating in annual exhibitions and winning first prize at annual exhibit by 1953. Her paintings during this period were abstract, saying before an exhibit, We paint what we feel, not what we see. Also in the 1950s she co-hosted a Saturday afternoon Channel 2 show, Gebhardt's Hobby House with co-host George Crowder.

The show highlighted people with unusual hobbies and artists. Soon she hosted her own weekly themed children's show, Ardis' Attic, also on Saturdays on Channel 2. The children's show featured marionettes, puppets, music and paintings all made by Purdy. Later iterations of the show were called Playtime with Ardis Sturdy, Charlie Croaker, and KBTV's Clubhouse Gang. In the 1960s she moved on from television to travel and concentrate on art making.

During this period, she opened and operated the Ardis Sturdy Studio Gallery in the Cherry Creek area, which featured fantastical paintings of creatures and figures. In 1972 after her husband's death, Sturdy bought and opened Ardis Sturdy Gallery in Castle Rock, where she taught art classes. Ardis Purdy's work has been featured in exhibitions and galleries throughout Colorado, including numerous one-person shows.

Frame 23 1/2" x 29 3/4".