Harry Wysocki Sold at Auction Prices

Harry Wysocki, brother of the Charles Wysocki, is an accomplished artist well known for his Americana paintings. Harry was born in a Polish-American neighborhood in Detroit and later moved to Los Angeles where he graduated from Art Center College of Design.

Harry describes his Americana paintings as nostalgia: a time before computers, hi-tech movies and fax machines, when traveling by horse and buggy were the mode of transportation. He finds a lighthouse, an old hotel, a railroad station, and then the historical research begins. He delves into archives, haunts old book stores, or talks to old-timers who remember "the way things were", and the painting begins to evolve. The finished portrayal is history, nostalgia, and fantasy.

Titles in the new Hometown Puzzles series include; Portland Head Light, Old Cider Mill, Sunset Visit, Elephant Festival, Roadside Icons, and Dragon Dance. In addition to classic American scenes this new assortment features two Asian images. Shortly after the end of World War II, Harry enlisted in the Merchant Marines and sailed the high seas to exotic ports, which became subject matter for some of his works.

Have you ever noticed that little black cat in Harry’s Americana paintings? According to his gallery website Harry always had two or three cats in his house. One day when he noticed multi-colored paw prints tracked across the floor. One of his cats had stepped in paint and tracked it across the floor. At the recommendation of his wife Betty he started to put that cat in all of his Americana paintings. Next time you are putting together a Harry Wysocki puzzle, see if you can find the cat looking back at you.