I never knew my grandfather. He died the year before I was born. But as a child, he did, of course, those wonderful illustrations, 'Treasure Island,' and whatnot.
The problem with having the name Wyeth is that immediately, when people hear the name, they all of a sudden see weathered barns in a field or something.
I view anything on this farm as model. I actually painted Union Rags as a yearling.
My aunt Caroline was really a character. She lived and worked in my grandfather's old house and even wore some of his clothes.
Painting is a field that attracts a lot of lazy people. You can just sort of sit and wait for things to come to you. I know a lot of painters who'll sit and chat it up all night. But God, I just can't do that.
Most of my reading is based on what I'm working on. I did a series of paintings based on the seven deadly sins, so I read Dante and then Milton's 'Paradise Lost.' That was a bit hard going.
