Wilmer Siegfried Richter 

I have been asked why I took on this project. After giving it some thought, I decided to tell you about the day I was introduced to Wilmer's work. It was the first time I met Lee Richter's parents, Wilmer C. (Rick) and Bertha (Bert) Richter. 

"Come upstairs, I want to show you something," said Bert. 

She led me to the bottom of a very narrow, steep staircase. More like a ladder, we navigated each riser by holding onto the next step. It was clear the rooms on the upper level were converted attic space. Once in the room, Bert pulled a large flat cardboard box from under the bed. Protected by no more than wrapping tissue, Bert showed me the contents. One by one, dozens of original watercolor paintings were spread out over the bed and the floor. They took my breath away!

Most are 30 to 50 years old and although they were not carefully separated, the dark storage box protected the vibrancy of the colors. They appeared undamaged. How they came to rest under a bed in central Pennsylvania led me on a journey that changed my life.

The pictures were painted by listed artist Wilmer S. Richter, Bert's father-in-law. Born in 1891 in Philadelphia, he was sketching as a boy but his father pushed for a career in music. His father saw his doodling as a waste of time and as a huge disappointment.  Wilmer credits his mother and his 9th-grade teacher for recognizing his exceptional talent. They encouraged him to pursue art as a viable profession.

Bert married Wilmer's son in 1945. After the war, the young couple settled in Jersey Shore, PA. In 1948, the senior Richters moved to Sarasota, FL where Wilmer became affiliated with the Ringling Museum of Art and taught art at the Ringling School and at a gallery in Venice, FL. 

In the 1960s, 1970s, and beyond, the Richters returned almost every summer to visit their son and his wife, Bert. During these visits, Wilmer painted and sketched daily. He traveled extensively all over the area. He was especially fond of the beautiful farms in the region, sketching and painting numerous barns. Many of the pictures from under the bed were painted "en plain air" during this time.

The number of paintings left behind grew. A few were framed and hung in Bert's modest home. Some were sold or donated to the local museums, but many ended up in a box under the bed. For Bert, they represented the inconvenience of guests who stayed too long, increasing her workload, cooking, and laundry. I'm sure many people can relate to the relief of having guests return home and having your own routine back to normal.

For me, the treasure was exciting and clearly valuable. After our visit, Lee produced 8 watercolor paintings from storage that I didn't know he had. One by one, I had them framed and hung in our home. I was appreciating Grandpa Richter's watercolors every day. 

I vowed to try to learn to paint. Upon retiring, I joined an art league and began my study of watercolors. I can now paint pictures that I am willing to hang, and I continue to practice, practice, practice.