JD Wissler: poems and workshops

“I can’t wait to get ink on my fingers and wind in my hair!” —JD Wissler

JD Wissler working at his easel during a monotype workshop.

I have written blog posts about the artist JD Wissler over the years, including quite a few of his poems. Now, on the very sad and unexpected news of his death, I feel the urge to consolidate the posts all together.

I first met JD during a monotype workshop in 2018 at King Oaks in Newtown, PA. I wrote in my diary:

“JD is one of the kindest people I have ever met; he inspired me with his genuine joy and goodwill.”

Artists Kristen Peyton and Leslie Ross Stephens look on while JD Wissler demonstrates the monotype technique, Oct. 2018.

After that wonderful workshop, I stayed in touch with JD mostly through facebook. He would often post his artwork on facebook, including beautiful stream-of-consciousness poems. I emailed him and asked if I might publish some of his poems on my blog. He happily agreed, and we went back and forth on planning that, selecting the right poems (there were so many!) and the artwork to go with them. In early 2019, I published three groups of his poems:

Edge

Stars Make Their Own Space

Light of the Firefly

Later that year, I took a second monotype workshop with JD. I wrote about this workshop in this blog post: Monotypes and Wise Words. Again, I learned so much, and I loved being in JD’s presence. I scribbled down things he said in my sketchbook. His words often verged on poetic:

“I can’t wait to get ink on my fingers and wind in my hair!” —JD Wissler

Thank you, JD, for being such a wonderful, kind person.

You made the world feel beautiful, and I’m grateful to have known you..

ink wash by JD Wissler (sketchbook)

Mount Gretna School of Art is grateful to John David Wissler's family for suggesting a charitable donation to MGSoA in lieu of flowers in his obituary. If you'd like to contribute to this fund visit this link for more information.

All My Blog Posts By and About JD Wissler:

Blogs about Monotype Workshops I took with JD Wissler:


Blogs Featuring JD Wissler’s Poems and Artwork