CityView Magazine

arts The Art of War D ick Kramer can't remember a time when he didn't draw. From his earliest memories as a child in New Jersey, to his current studio in Virginia, Dick's creative journey has been dictated by personal ex- periences and heartfelt emotional ties to his work. "I love to draw," he said. "I'm blessed to be able to make a living at it." As one of the forward most tactical art- ists of his time, Dick specializes prints of military groups, police forces and firefighters. In 2003 Dick produced a series he calls "Warrior" series based on photographs he gathered from soldiers at Fort Bragg. The collection highlights the Airborne soldier right here in Fayetteville's backyard. Dick is looking forward to returning to do more work with the 82nd Airborne when the op- portunity arises. The Trophy House, located on Bragg Boulevard in Fayetteville, is just one of the local dealers that carries Kramer's prints. Storeowner Jimmy Keefe has known Dick for more than eight years and said he has sold hundreds of Kramer's prints. The prints are popularly given as retirement gifts to servicemen and to fellow soldiers who are being relocated, because they are memorable and affordable, typically sell- ing for between $40 and $55. Dick's interest in tactical art isn't a superficial one, either. As a Navy veteran, he understands the hardship and emo- tions that come with military service. Af- ter serving on two aircraft carriers from Dick Kramer's art is popular with soldiers and first responders | BY LINDSAY POPE 1955 until 1959, the Midway and the Bom Homme Richard, Dick developed an affin- ity for the open waters. "I loved it," he said. "I never tired of going to sea." Revealing emotion is the most impor- tant ingredient in his drawings, but Dick also strives for complete accuracy when drawing the complex weaponry seen in many of his prints. "I always try to cap- ture drama, strong light and shadows and absolute realism," he said. As inspiration for his style, Dick said he looks to Rembrandt, a 17th century Dutch painter known for his self-por- traits, biblical scenes and dramatic use of light and shadows. Like Rembrandt, Dick takes advantage of natural shadows to cre- ate the drama that his customers love. For just $800, you could have a one of a kind portrait drawn by Dick Kramer. He's drawn special unit teams, child portraits, and even police horses and is by no means limited in scope. He also does illustra- tions for corporate commissions, creating one of kind advertisement portraits. Taking pictures is the first step in Dick's creative process. By using photos as a guide, he is able to recreate the intri- cate weapons and other details the mind forgets. Dick always takes his own pho- to because he has an artist's eye and says he looks for things that he doesn't think most people would notice. "I don't take photos, I take drawings," he said. "I see finished art in the eye piece CityViewNC.com | 29 PHOTOS BY AWAKENING PHOTOGRAPHY

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