Windmills: Old, New & Imaginary

Last year I did this watercolor study based on Vincent van Gogh's Le Moulin De La Galette 4, which features a windmill in the historic Montmartre district of Paris's 18th arrondissement. (Though it has been moved and restored, the original windmill is still stand ing. Here's another artist's version of the same windmill for reference.)

Some of my favorite works by van Gogh are from his Montmartre series, which he made in 1886. Windmills feature prominently in the series, which includes not only a number of paintings entitled Le Moulin de la Galette, but other windmills as well.

If you've ever driven west of Salina, Kansas on Interstate 70, you've undoubtedly noticed the many giant wind turbines dotting the countryside. They're part of the Smoky Hills Wind Farm, which generates 250 megawatts of electricity and is the largest wind farm in Kansas. About a year ago, I stopped on my way to Colorado to have a closer look and take some photos.

I'm no photographer (if you really enjoy photographs of Kansas—especially the Flint Hills—be sure to check out my talented friend Mark Feiden's website), but I was pleased with the photo below. Notice a 'little something' in the foreground?

Below is a closer look at this little relic from earlier times…

Little windmills remind me of my little puppy or, as I like to call him, Dog Quixote™…

…because he's always 'tilting at windmills' (fighting imaginary enemies)—and by enemies, I mean…

…every UPS truck that happens to drive down our street.

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“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.”
― Robertson Davies

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“It's all a matter of perspective. And maybe we thought we were living one story, when if we look at it a little different, we can reframe everything - all out memories and attributes and experiences - and see that we're actually living a different story.”
― Kiersten White, The Chaos of Stars

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“You need to let the little things that would ordinarily bore you suddenly thrill you.”
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About Me

Hi. I’m D.E.Uhlig. I’m an artist, author, husband and father.

For as long as I can remember, I have loved to draw. Years ago I gave my wife a hand-drawn card for our anniversary, and she loved it so much she made me promise to ALWAYS hand-draw her cards. Then our three kids made me promise to do the same with their birthday cards. And when I posted some of my drawings online, people began asking how they could purchase my work—so I created this newsletter. I believe in something I like to call “The Happiness of Art” and I hope it makes you smile.

Official Bio

D.E.Uhlig is an award-winning illustrator whose work has appeared in numerous publications including the Kansas City Star, Christian Science Monitor, University Daily Kansan, Editorial Humor Magazine, and World Policy Journal. Commercial illustration and design clients over the years have included Samsung, Sprint, and the Los Angeles Times Syndicate, among others—and his Starbucks RedCup illustrations have been featured on the company's Pinterest and Facebook pages. In 1989, Mr. Uhlig co-founded Uhlig LLC, a leading provider of cross-media publishing and communication services in industries ranging from residential housing to book publishing to cancer care. Mr. Uhlig is married with three children and resides in Kansas City. He is currently working on children’s books, ebooks and apps.

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