One of the Virgin Islands' best-known artists, master oil painter Eric Winter, is dead at the age of 68.
Winter, who had been suffering the effects of Parkinson's Disease, died comfortably in his sleep on Wednesday, Jan. 3, at the home he began building in the 1980s in Estate Frenchman's Bay on St. Thomas. He had been in declining health since October, when he was hospitalized briefly. It was his wish to spend his remaining time at home with his family.
Winter moved to St. Thomas in 1954 after graduating with a fine arts degree from the University of Maryland – perhaps in search of adventure, but mainly because his parents were living here. Later travels took him to locales that inspired painting – including Hawaii, Tahiti and Alaska, where he lived for two years.
As an artist, he worked only in the medium of oil, painting hundreds of canvases of representational island imagery reminiscent of the mid-20th century, and selling virtually all of them. In an interview in the early '90s, he said, "I paint St. Thomas and the people here the way things were, and were better, and I hope will one day be again. People here don't talk about today unless it's problems. They talk about the 'good old days.' They can look out the window and see today."
He made his living as a building contractor, helping to construct the Watergate complex and many private homes on St. Thomas, until the onset of Parkinson's impaired his physical movement several years ago, then he turned to art full time. The home overlooking Frenchman's Bay that he and his wife, Nadine, began building in 1982 is actually five small West Indian-style "houses" with red roofs and wooden shutters. One serves as the living room, two house bedrooms, another is his art studio and a fifth is guest quarters.
In the '50s and '60s, Winter was much in demand as a muralist for weekend costume parties friends liked to throw. The artwork had a short wall life: "They whited everything over the day after the party," he recalled years later. As he worked in oil, at least some of the murals may be waiting to be rediscovered by people who now live in the houses where he worked and have no idea what's under the layers of latex on their walls.
In 1992, competing against 30 other artists across the nation, Winter was selected to create the "public art" for a new Federal Building annex on St. Thomas. His plan to paint three small murals was never realized because, with Territorial Court assuming greater jurisdiction for criminal cases until then addressed in District Court, plans for the annex itself were shelved.
Throughout his career, he also taught art on the high school and college level, including at Antilles School and the then-College of the Virgin Islands, and privately. In the 1990s, he opened his studio to a figure drawing group that met weekly. Earlier he had organized life drawing sessions held at the studio of his longtime friend and fellow oil painter Ray Miles.
Winter held solo shows – his first in many years, and his last – at American Yacht Harbor in 1997 and 1998. He was among the Virgin Islanders honored by Gov. Roy L. Schneider in 1997 for their contributions to the arts. At the elegant ceremony in Government House, he offered the shortest, but perhaps the most eloquent, remarks upon receiving his medallion and certificate. Awash in a sea of other honorees' effusive acknowledgements to family, teachers, mentors and more, Winter said, simply, "I don't speak. I paint."
Last October, the annual meeting of the St. Thomas-St. John Arts Council was held at Winter's studio, honoring his contributions to art in the islands.
Winter is survived by his wife, Nadine; their daughters Skye, 17, and Lana, 15; his adult children from an earlier marriage, Page Winter Allen, Eric R. Winter, Leslie Mills and Cy Winter; his brother, Page Winter, also a St. Thomas artist; and his sister, Joan Winter.
Winter's art talents have rubbed off on several of his children. Eric R. Winter "is pretty much following in his father's footsteps," Nadine Winter said. "He's a building contractor, as Eric was, and he's also painting." Daughter Skye will begin fine arts studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design next fall. Her sister, Lana is a poet.
Winter had years ago expressed the wish that his body be cremated and his ashes be scattered at sea off St. Thomas. After that wish is carried out, his wife said, plans for a community memorial service will be announced.
Those wishing to make a contribution in his memory may do so in two ways: by giving to the Antilles School Building Fund or to a college scholarship fund to be set up for his two young daughters. Further information in either case may be obtained by contacting Nadine Winter at (340) 776-0728.
