Meredith Willson Dwyer

Meredith pictured with Cholmondley

Meredith Willson Dwyer was born in Ridgewood, New Jersey, on September 26, 1937, and grew up in the New Jersey and New York areas between Ridgewood and Highland Falls, New York.  She moved to the Washington, D.C. area with her father and brother in 1953.  Her artistic ability manifested itself early on, and her father encouraged her, framing some of her best works to hang on the walls of the family home.  She was self taught until she studied with Eugene Kamalak, a Polish-born German who immigrated to the United States after the Second World War.  She studied with him for 18 years until his death.

Her style and technique have been compared by many to the old masters.  She works in pastels and oils as well as pencil and pen & ink, but her favorite media is oils.  She is self-employed and works mainly from commissions, but does numerous studies of her own animals for her personal pleasure.  She does miniatures as small as a dime as well as large paintings.  Her miniatures are superb in detail and accuracy as are her larger paintings.  Her ability to capture a likeness of an animal is uncanny.  She has that rare ability to bring to life her animal subjects.  Her thirst for perfection, coupled with her ability to create in photographic detail, gives her subjects the appearance of being able to jump from the canvas.  In that intimate moment of viewing a Dwyer canvas, one can almost feel the energy of the animal come alive through her blending of lines, textures and color, and her backgrounds are so real that you often want to step into the picture for further sensual stimulation. 

Meredith’s paintings adorn the walls of homes in England, France, Spain, Africa and all over the United States.  Norwich Terriers are her passion, but she enjoys bringing to life all canine breeds, horses, cats, foxes and, for that matter, any animal of nature’s creation.  She has donated many hand painted trophies and awards to her club, the Norfolk Norwich Terrier Club, as well as other breed clubs.  Her pen & ink drawings have appeared frequently in the NNTC News as well as the JustUs Dogs Publication Just Terriers.

Meredith lives in Landover Hills, Maryland, with her husband Charles, daughter Karen, five Norwich Terriers and two cats.  When she is not drawing or painting, she can be found with her precious terriers, training, grooming and conditioning them.  She shows and breeds her own line, and has produced many titled Norwich Terriers in conformation, obedience, agility and tracking.  She can also be found teaching dog obedience classes in the Washington, D.C. area.  And on Sundays, when not stewarding or handling at a show, she is up before dawn to catch the best scent tracking.

Awards and Recognitions:

2007 AKC /Eukanuba National Championship Commemorative Art Poster Competition Finalist

2005 AKC /Eukanuba National Championship Commemorative Art Poster Competition Finalist

2004 Dog Fanciers Club Inc. 17^th Contemporary American Dog Art Competition, Artists Choice Award

Page last updated June 20, 2008

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