Jody Wheeler Portrait of an Illustrator National children’s book illustrator Jody Wheeler is proud to admit that she sometimes draws upon memories of her girlhood in Ballston Spa when creating artwork to accompany stories for young readers. “I had such a happy childhood in the community that I find myself painting houses or scenery or even faces from my hometown,” smiles Wheeler, who grew up on Pinewood Lane, just off of Rowland Street, but now resides in Manhattan.
Story by Ann Hauprich; color photos by Antonio Bucca
Local people -- including the illustrator’s brother Rod and his wife Jody Veet Wheeler -- are among those who have served as models for such titles as “The First Noel” and “The Night Before Christmas.” Bottom left photo shows the couple dressed as Mary and Joseph and their illustrated likenesses. Best friends Heather Kennedy and Julia Wheeler agreed to don vintage slumber attire in order to help bring a scene from Louisa Mae Alcott’s “An Old-Fashioned Thanksgiving” to life. Joanne (nee Veet) and Ronnie Taylor were models for “The Gift of the Magi” while members of the Spensieri clan have been featured in other titles. A scene inspired by village streetscapes is left.
As an example, says Wheeler, visions of Ballston Spa were among the first to dance through her head when she was commissioned to create artwork for a 1988 edition of “The Night Before Christmas” for Ideals Publishing. “I kept reminiscing about how pretty the village looked on Christmas Eve and couldn’t resist including the mint green Victorian mansion near the intersection of Route 50 and East High Street,” says Wheeler, adding that the scene at the beginning of the book was also inspired by cherished Yuletide memories of her hometown. Jewel-like colors inspired by the stained glass windows in the Presbyterian Church on West High Street are sure to delight those turning the pages of The First Noel illustrated by Wheeler. While there were no mice stirring in the ranch-style home just off of Rowland Street where Wheeler waited for Santa to slide down the chimney in the 1950s, memories of her parents, Betty and Byrhl, siblings Betsy and Rodney and the pets they loved have not faded with time. Returning to Ballston Spa several times a year inevitably rekindles other recollections and the pride she has always felt in the community where her first drawings and paintings were crafted. If one were to fill a canvas with images of Jody Wheeler’s life as a professional artist, it would have to include pictures of her at Elmira College where she earned her BA in art education. One semester of her junior year was spent at Drew University at Madison, NJ. Although Wheeler aspired to become an art teacher after earning her degree, a recession-related lack of openings prompted her to go another route.
Jody Wheeler’s grandfather, Byrhl Wheeler, Sr. holding her father, Byrhl, Jr. outside of their home at 17 McMaster Street in Ballston Spa around 1928. Jody’s grandmother, Amy, and aunts Majel and Belva complete the vintage family portrait above. Byrhl, Sr.’s siblings included Opal, Pearl and Ruby and brother Emmett.The earliest and most profound influence on illustrator Jody Wheeler’s own future career – though she was blissfully unaware of it at the time — was her Great-Aunt Opal Wheeler (depicted in portrait above), who became a prolific author of children’s books published by E.P. Dutton throughout the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. The titles featured on this page represent but a small sampling of Opal Wheeler’s life’s work. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and Columbia, she spent time at the University of Washington and Juilliard and later studied voice in Italy with Vannini and the piano in France. She served as director of the Music Department at the University of Delaware for four summers. Opal married John Macrae, her publisher at Dutton. Recalls Jody Wheeler: “My siblings and I received boxes filled with beautifully illustrated children’s books courtesy of my father’s Aunt Opal every year with the result that I developed a greater than average interest in literature at a very early age.”
The Way It Was On Pinewood Lane It all began on May 29, 1948 in Keene, New Hampshire when Byrhl Wheeler wed Betty Isabel Wheeler -- no relation! Top left portrait was taken in the 1950s when Jody, Betsy and Rodney couldn’t wait for Santa to slide down the chimney on Pinewood Lane, just off of Rowland Street in Ballston Spa. The now out-of-print 1988 book “The Night Before Christmas” was the first picture book ever illustrated by Jody Wheeler. Dedicated to her parents, the book include scenes inspired by Christmases past in the village. Other happy childhood memories include being a member of The Pinewood Lane Gang -- a group of adventurous kids who grew up in the same neighborhood. The Gang included members of the Bradt, Cull, Curcio, Groom, Harrison, Hacker, Lawrence, Lepper and Wheeler families. Getting ready to attend a Fourth of July parade in the early 1960s are (l. to rt.) Rodney Wheeler, Wayne Harrison, Arlynn Hacker, Esther Cull, Betsy Wheeler (in red), Billy Lawrence, Jody Wheeler, Barbara Harrison and Michael Lawrence. Seated in front of go-cart made by Byrhl Wheeler, Jr. is Richard Cull.
That in turn led to a two-year stint as a design assistant/secretary at Dial Press in the juvenile books division. “I went to Manhattan thinking it would be a one-year adventure; 30 years later, I’m still there.” By 1980, Wheeler had saved sufficient funds to start a business as a freelance book illustrator. She fondly recalls her very first paid assignment was a kindergarten math textbook published by HoughtonMifflin. Before long her illustrations were gracing the covers and pages of scores of books published by such prominent publishers as Scholastic, Random House, HarperCollins, Ideals, Golden Books and Simon & Schuster. Although Jody Wheeler always enjoyed art in her public school classrooms, becoming a professional illustrator was not on her list of career options when she graduated from BSHS in 1970. “I had some absolutely wonderful teachers who encouraged my creativity throughout my years in the Ballston Spa Central School District,” insists Wheeler who also attended South Street School, Malta Avenue School. “I don’t think I could have gotten a better education any place else; the teachers and principals in Ballston Spa were simply outstanding!” At last count Wheeler had more than seventy (70) titles in her portfolio – ranging from fiction titles for young readers to nonfiction titles for middle readers as well as paper dolls, activity books, calendars, greeting cards and a diversity of other products. Included in her portfolio are illustrations that have breathed new life into remakes of lost books of Ludwig Bemelmor’s Madeleine, Don Freeman’s Corduroy the Bear and some of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s
Boy Scout Byrhl Wheeler, Jr. marches in a parade along Milton Avenue and as a study in contentment ca. 1937, outside of 17 McMaster Street. Several years later, he was captured on film striking a patriotic pose while serving in the US Navy in Europe during World War Two. That’s also Byrhl giving young Jody a chiropractic treatment in 1954. Sadly, the illustrator’s father’s hands were later injured in a machinery accident, putting an end to his pioneering chiropractic practice in the village. Mr. Wheeler subsequently ran a small manufacturing plant at 49 Bath Street that both produced and serviced Swan humidifiers.
Little House characters – specifically the early days of Laura’s husband Almanzo Wilder in Malone, NY. Most recently, Wheeler has completed illustrations for a book based on characters created by the late Ezra Jack Keats, Roberto Walks Home. Reviving the beloved character created by Keats for a new generation is an honor and a joy for Wheeler. Her first project for 2009 is Nate the Great & The Hungry Book Club. Given her success, one might expect Wheeler to be just a tad smug about her accomplishments. On the contrary, she exudes a humility that is at once surprising and inspiring. When a suggestion is made that some of the thousands of pictures she’s had published over the decades are sure to leave lasting impressions on young readers she reflects back upon the legacy of her Great-Aunt Opal, perhaps best known for the series of works she researched and wrote on the lives of great composers. “This isn’t a profession where one becomes complacent,” explains Wheeler. “There are many talented children’s book illustrators out there today. It’s fulfilling to be involved in a part of the arts that fosters literacy.” Thanks to the Internet and the fact that art, like laughter, has no accent, Wheeler has been able to expand her freelance business from a national to an international one. The only tricky part can involve payment – how does one spend EUROS in the USA? When asked what she considers the most challenging aspect of her chosen profession, Wheeler doesn’t miss a beat. “Deadlines. I hate deadlines.” The most rewarding? “Seeing kids enjoy the books in libraries, classrooms and in the homes of friends and relatives is definitely the most rewarding part by far.” Actually some of those friends and relatives may find themselves inside the books. “You’ll see my brother Rodney and sister-in-law Jody and their children Amy and Julia. I’ve also used my cat, Luna, who looks like a small bobcat as a model for at least one book – A Cat’s Tale: One Cat’s Search for the Meaning of Life, written by Lindy Lindemann. Another model from her hometown is Milton Terrace Primary School principal Joseph Lopez. “Mr. Lopez was a great sport. He’s a natural and cooperative model with a great sense of humor.!”
Betty Wheeler was a horsewoman and a local Phys Ed teacher as well as serving as President of the Ballston Spa Teachers Union. That’s Jody in cheerleading uniform and sister Betsy with Wild & Windy Bill McKay at Storytown and as seen in her 1973 yearbook portrait. That’s brother Rodney (Class of 1971) and with wife Jody Veet Wheeler (Class of 1973) and daughters Amy and Julia in 2001. Rod is now a technology instructor at Shaker Junior High School in Colonie.
To show her thanks, Wheeler has given talks to students in his charge on such topics as “How A Picture Book Is Made” and “What An Illustrator Does” even though she insists she is more comfortable sitting at a drawing board than standing alone in front of a crowded auditorium. “I always love it once I actually get out and interact with the kids, but I make a better illustrator than speaker.” When not illustrating books or talking to young readers in schools and libraries, Wheeler likes nothing better than to head for the great outdoors. “My parents always took us camping when we were young. Our favorite place was the Fish Creek Camp Ground near Saranac Lake. We camped there every summer and met Canadians who became our lifelong friends. My Dad had been in the Boy Scouts and made sure we were happy campers.” Looking back on her camping adventures and those she enjoyed as a member of the “Pinewood Lane Gang” (a group of carefree kids in the 1950s) Wheeler is at a loss to express her gratitude to those who contributed to her happy childhood. “I can’t believe I took so much for granted,” smiles Wheeler, who also lives part-time in Sarasota, Florida. “I had to do some chores around the house and later babysat and had part-time jobs at the Saratoga Tree Nursery and the Friendly’s that was on South Broadway in Saratoga Springs, but in hindsight, I had it really easy. I remember sipping vanilla phosphate soda water served on crushed ice at Porter’s Soda Fountain where a scene between Barbra Streisand and Robert Redford was later filmed for The Way We Were.” When she visits Ballston Spa (or New Ballston Spa, as she calls it!) these days, Wheeler loves spending time with old friends in historic settings like The Coffee Planet inside of The Lincoln Building, The Whistling Kettle tea room on Front Street and the Factory Eatery inside of the Chocolate Factory on Prospect Street. “I can’t get over how the village has managed to keep its charm while at the same time adding attractions that would also appeal to people in Manhattan. It’s even more remarkable when I realize that younger classmates, including Kirk Westbrook, Jerry DeFilippo, Greg Thomas and Tina Mangino Coffey, are behind many of the renovations.” If she could find the time to illustrate a children’s book about the village, Wheeler says the pages would likely include restored landmarks like the Chocolate Factory, the Old Iron Spring and Brookside. “Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be able to write and illustrate a book about the village. I’ve got more than enough ideas . . . there just never seem to be enough hours in the day!”
