By Kevin Williams
There are some talented artists among the Amish, I learned that early on in my association with them. Back in the early 1990s, my brother moved to Los Angeles. Los Angeles have a very different vibe from Ohio and my brother, fresh out of college, would occasionally get homesick.  During that time I met a young Amish artist in Indiana, a tall bearded man that friends and family joked looked like Abraham Lincoln. In reality, his name was Alan Wickey and he was a talented painter. I remember when he showed me a corner of his barn that had been converted into a makeshift art studio with canvases and paints. He liked to do rural scenes and that is when it hit me that with my brother's birthday coming up, a painting of a midwestern scene could be just the remedy for homesickness.
Alan Wickey moved to Michigan several years later. I saw him once at a funeral in the early 2000s, but have since lost touch with him. But his work lives on. I was visiting with my brother last weekend and I saw the painting, displayed in his living room and it evoked a wave of pleasant nostalgia. If memory serves me correctly, I paid Alan $100 for the painting...considering it is still in great shape, I'd say it was money well spent.
Here is that beautiful picture:
At the time this Amish artist lived near the town of Berne, Indiana and that is reflected in his painting. Notice the buggy does not have a roof? That is the biggest indicator that the painting is set near Berne. I love the spacious barn and the general Amish ambiance....The windmill is also are common sight among the Amish homes in the area.
We did a story several years ago about Amish artist Anna Weaver, who lives in rural western New York. She's made a name for herself and her paintings, unusual among the Amish. Here are a few of Anna's paintings, depicting beautiful Amish scenes in New York:
An Anna Weaver painting....
beautiful Anna Weaver autumn scene
I've met several talented Amish artists over the years, men and women. This sawblade is one painted by Miriam Troyer, who I met at an Amish settlement near Greenville, PA one year. She enjoyed painting old saw blades and displaying them. This is one of her works.
Cathie Kukec
Beautiful! I’d love to have them hanging in my home!
Nana
The Weaver paintings are somewhat reminiscent of Grandma Moses's works. Nana
Kevin
GOod observation! Some have referred to Weaver as "The Amish Grandma Moses."