With the support of his family at an early age, Cody Wheelock found the spark that lit his imagination by doodling on the margins of worksheets and creating cartoon drawings of friends and illustrating his own stories.
“In 7th grade, I came across a book in the library about how to draw realistic portraits by artist Lee Hammond,” he explained. “I dived in and learned how to approach values, get accurate proportions and never looked back!”
His friends bolstered his confidence, and he began selling portrait drawings to people for $30 to $50 apiece, which led to earning a bachelor’s degree in art education from the University of Nebraska, and a graduate degree from Boston University.
He added, “I felt being a teacher gave me the best route to a career, versus being a fine art major, and I taught high school art for nearly ten years.”
He continued to hone his own craft working on commissioned art for clients and entering original work in various shows and exhibitions around the country. In 2019, with encouragement from his wife, Laura, he left that hectic nonstop life to open his own private instructional studio in Lee’s Summit. He now teaches nearly 40 private students weekly both in-studio and online and stays busy producing work for clients around the country.
“My instructional studio, Fount Atelier Art Coaching, focuses on skill development in classical drawing and oil painting methods inspired by the 19th century French Academic system of training,” he continued. “This comprehensive program takes students from zero experience to earning money from their work if they wish. I only need two things from them, a willingness to embrace the process, and a willingness to be coachable and receive feedback. If they can do those two things, I guarantee they will be successful.”
The majority of his work is oil painting with some graphite drawings. He believes if someone wants to learn to paint, oil is a fantastic medium to focus on, as it dries slowly, allowing time for beginners to mix colors, blend and apply paint.
His favorite subjects are nature and portraits, and he enjoys spending time outdoors, exploring new places and immersing himself in the experience of nature at places like the Grand Canyon and a Northwoods sunset at a lake.
“I am currently in the middle of my show season which runs from spring to fall. I exhibit and sell my work at 10 to 15 prominent art fairs around the country each year. In addition to teaching and traveling for shows I am also available open to discussing commission opportunities with clients as well as host potential students at my studio for a free visit to discuss their goals and explain how my coaching program works.”
His biggest motivator? Glorifying God in everything he does. His family is a huge reason for his motivation, and he realizes his Laura saw his potential and has been his biggest cheerleader along the way.
“I also want to inspire my kids to not be afraid to chase their dreams or stifle their creativity and have no regrets. To know that God has a plan for their lives and even if they take a risk and fail, he will ultimately use that experience for their growth and His glory,” he expressed.
Learn more at wheelockoilpaintings.com and fountatelier.com