John Wilde was born in Milwaukee, studied at UW Madison then served in WWII. When he returned, he finished his Masters of Art degree under the G.I. Bill and spent many years teaching and as artist in residence, influencing many Midwest artists with his surrealist style. In May 2006, Wilde was posthumously given the Wisconsin Visual Art Lifetime Achievement Award, a highly respected tribute that has also honored artists such as Frank Lloyd Wright and Brooks Stevens. Today his works are in The Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, and the Milwaukee Art Museum.

Wilde's work often incorporates a meticulous drawing technique. During the heyday of abstract expressionism, his surrealist style mixed with Old Master techniques was not popular. However, he was committed to his craft. He used the challenging and exact medium of silverpoint. Wilde’s second wife Shirley is often depicted in his fantasy landscapes. It is possible she served as the model with the oversized vegetables in our paintings.

Surreal still-life of nude female figure seated on large, bulbous celery root; black background - Oil on Panel