Local artist Judy Andrews Pubanz was recently commissioned by ThedaCare to create a painting with a Wolf River theme to be displayed in the registration area at ThedaCare Medical Center in Shawano.
Hospital officials had been looking for a piece of artwork to fill a very large space. After discovering Pubanz was an artist who had other works displayed on the ThedaCare campus, they showed Pubanz the area they were looking to fill.
Pubanz said she had a painting large enough to fill the space; however, it wasn’t finished. It was a charcoal sketch at the time. After hearing her plan for finishing the painting and viewing the work in progress, officials agreed to proceed.
The painting of a great blue heron is 4 feet by 8 feet.
“Living on the banks of the Wolf River for over 60 years and watching great blue herons fly over the river and wade on our shoreline is what inspired the painting,” Pubanz said.
The painting of the bird flying over the river at sunset is titled “Evening on the Wolf River.” It is best viewed by walking up the stairs of the registration area to the landing between floors.
From charcoal sketch to finished product, it took more than a year to complete.
