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Wilhelm Goebel

Wilhelm Goebel

Paintings by Goebel - Click to view paintings

Born in New Brunswick, New Jersey in 1960, Wilhelm Goebel is a nationally known wildlife artist.  He is a graduate of Ithaca College in Ithaca, New York with a degree in biology.  He has studied bird anatomy extensively with field trips throughout Canada, the United States and the West Indies.

Goebel works in a small room above his garage with birds, fish, feathers, antlers and skins adorning his walls.  There are catalogs of slides, piles of pictures and stacks of magazines on his bookcases.  These items serve as reference material for his paintings.

In his early days as an artist, he used to spend a lot of time in nature observing subjects, taking photographs and sketching his ideas.  One day while visiting the Salisbury Zoological Park Goebel saw a ruddy duck and got an idea; he started snapping shots.  Goebel transformed the shots into a painting that was recently named Maryland's 31st Migratory Game Bird Stamp Design Contest winner.

This ruddy duck wasn't the first time Goebel took home the top honor in a contest. Goebel's artistic accomplishments are numerous; he was selected as the 2004 National Wild Turkey Federation Stamp Artist of the year, in 2002 he was National Wild Turkey Federation Artist of the Year, in 2001, he won the Maryland stamp competition with a painting of a pair of widgeon, he was selected Grand National Waterfowl Association Artist of the Year, and in 1995 won wildlife art's most prestigious award, the Federal Duck Stamp contest. His entry entitled "Surf Scooters at Barnegat Lighthouse" graced the 1996-97 Federal Duck Stamp.  In addition he has designed numerous duck stamps for Alaska, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota and Virginia.

Goebel starts with a blank canvas and his reference material surrounding him.  He'll sketch his main subject, then add the secondary elements.  The painting starts from the top, and he works his way down until nothing's left but the final details.  "The most exciting parts are starting and finishing," Goebel said.  "In the middle, it's just sheer work and frustration."  To avoid boredom Goebel works on several paintings at a time.  Sometimes he will spend as little as 15 minutes on a painting, but if things are going well, he will stay with the painting all day.  Because of the way he works, Goebel usually finishes a batch of paintings at a time and averages about 25 pieces a year.

Goebel's paintings have been featured in many publications, including Outdoor Life, National Wildlife, Birdwatcher's Digest, Sporting Classics and Wildlife Art magazine.  His work is displayed in numerous museums and galleries in the United States, and Canada, to include the Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, the Bennington Center for the Arts, the U.S. Postal Museum and the National Wildlife Federation.  His paintings may also be found in many private collections throughout the country.

Goebel's philanthropy, through his artwork, has benefited organizations such as Ducks Unlimited and The National Wild Turkey Federation, and Goebel is a member of the Society of Animal Artists.

Goebel's artistic accomplishments are numerous; he was selected as the 2004 National Wild Turkey Federation Stamp Artist of the year, in 2002 he was National Wild Turkey Federation Artist of the Year, the Grand National Waterfowl Association Artist of the Year, and in 1995 won wildlife art's most prestigious award, the Federal Duck Stamp contest. His entry entitled "Surf Scooters at Barnegat Lighthouse" graced the 1996-97 Federal Duck Stamp.  In addition he has designed numerous duck stamps for Alaska, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota and Virginia.

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