On Writing Artist Biographies
My passion lies in the South Pacific—its people, islands, and the artists who painted there. I gravitate toward the untold stories of lesser-known artists whose works captivate me. Over the years, I’ve collected art from many of these creators and traveled extensively throughout the South Pacific, from Guam and Pohnpei to Tahiti and the Hawaiian Islands. Writing takes me back to these regions, allowing me to walk in the footsteps of my subjects and uncover their stories.
(9 Things I’ve Learned Writing a Memoir.)
I have been fortunate to visit and collect some of these artists. I have visited the South Pacific many times, including Guam, Pohnpei, Taiwan, Truk, Palau, Bali, Fiji, New Zealand, Australia, its Great Barrier Reef, Tahiti and its surrounding islands, and the Hawaiian Islands. My writings take me back to regions where my subjects lived.
My first book, Tyree: Artist of the South Pacific, was published in 2017. It took four years to complete because there was little information about Ralph Burke Tyree, who died in 1979. As a Marine, Tyree was stationed in Samoa during World War II, where he first painted the Polynesian people and local flora and fauna and became a premiere artist of Tiki culture in the 1960s. To uncover his history, I conducted extensive interviews with his family, including his wife and seven children. The rewards were Gold Medals for Best Biography and Best Cover from the Independent Book Publishing Association, 2018.
My interest in Tyree and his brilliant work would later lead me to write Beauty in the Beast: Flora, Fauna, and Endangered Species of Artist Ralph Burke Tyree. This book explores the last 10 years of Tyree’s life and was published to mark the 50th Anniversary of the Endangered Species Act. It highlights his paintings of endangered animals, the gems of our planet. I co-authored it with Tyree’s granddaughter, Paige Herbert.
The second artist I researched and wrote about was Edgar Leeteg for Leeteg, Babes, Bars, Beaches, and Black Velvet Art. This book also required four years of research. Leeteg was an artist famous for painting vahines (Polynesian women) from his Tahitian estate. His life was shrouded in myth, much of it stemming from James Michener’s Rascals in Paradise. Writing his story necessitated multiple trips to Tahiti. The book was awarded the Gold Medal as Best Biography from the Independent Book Publishing Association in 2022.
My latest book, Edithe Beutler: Beautifying Hawaii with Color, completed in about a year, explores the life of Edithe Beutler, a pioneering colorist who oil-painted black and white Hawaiian photos before the advent of color photography. I had an extensive collection of her paintings but needed help getting accurate information about her life from the newspapers and Ancestry.
My search for Edithe led me to a treasure trove of material via her son’s collection of his mother, grandmother, and other family members. Fortunately, she had a famous silent film star daughter named Sally Phipps and a book written about her by her son Robert L. Harned. I tracked him down via social media. He knew Edithe, his grandmother, well, having lived with her in Honolulu. He also had a plethora of photos of Edithe to supplement my collection of her art. Together, we completed an adventure to tell the story of this most exciting lady, talented artist, entrepreneur, and family matriarch.
Edithe Beutler exemplifies resilience, creativity, and determination. She overcame significant personal challenges, including two short marriages, estrangement from her actress daughter, and job loss during the Great Depression. Despite these hardships, she built a successful career as a celebrated colorist and business owner in Honolulu. Her art, created during a time when women were expected to stay home, stands as a testament to her trailblazing spirit. Through this book, I hope readers will be inspired by her legacy and beautiful contributions to art and history.
If I could offer one piece of advice, it would be this: Write about your passions. In my case, it’s history, art, and the South Pacific. Here are three key tips for aspiring writers:
- Be Curious: Use the internet, explore resources like Ancestry.com and Newspapers.com, and dive deep into your subject.
- Connect With People: Interview family members, collectors, and others who might have firsthand knowledge. Approach them kindly and gently—being a detective means following leads with respect and determination.
- Enjoy the Journey: Research and writing are adventures in their own right. Embrace the process, and let your curiosity guide you.
Check out C.J. Cook’s Edithe Beutler: Beautifying Hawaii with Color here:
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