- Kim Weed - "Beyond Fantasia" When we first learned about the art of Howard Kimball "Kim" Weed (1921 - 2013), our interest was immediately piqued. There is not nearly enough information available on the man himself, but what we've pieced together reads like an odd pulp novel filled with espionage and intrigue. It's the story of a brilliant artist who appears to have more in common with Jack Parsons than anyone is letting on. A California native and lifelong artist, he graduated San Diego High at 15 years old, later attending the prestigious Chouinard Art Academy in Los Angeles on a full tuition art scholarship. From there, Kim was hired by Walt Disney Studios and worked on the animated film "Fantasia" in the Rite of Spring segment as an uncredited artist. After Disney went on strike, he worked various jobs. He was a set erector at Columbia Pictures, was hired by Bugsy Siegel to create a full scale model of the Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas, and worked for Vega Airlines (which later became Lockheed). When World War II began, Kim joined the Navy as an electrician and spent much time in the South Pacific. Somewhere along the line, he met and collaborated with Kathleen Clifford, a film actress and famous male impersonator on the vaudeville circuit. In 1945, Kathleen published "The Enchanted Glen: Never Trod by the Feet of Men," a children's book illustrated by Kim Weed. It is described as "an extraordinarily beautifully illustrated childrens' book" which tells the story of courageous animals fighting evil. After the war, he attended college on the GI Bill and received an engineering degree from Cal Tech. Over his lifetime, Kim worked as a dance hall bouncer, an LAPD officer, a teacher, an aerospace engineer, a mercenary air force officer, and an intelligence agent. The mercenary and intelligence work took him through over thirty countries, including Germany. Eventually, Kim found himself back at Lockheed where he worked on the F104 Starfighter. Throughout all of this, he continued to produce artwork. He married and retired in Southern California. Around 1997, he was diagnosed with Macular Degeneration, an incurable eye disease. The disease progressed rapidly but never slowed him down as far as creating art in various media. We are incredibly fortunate to have obtained a small sampling of Kim Weed's artwork. Looking at the pieces, you can see how easily Kim moves through various styles. His pieces are whimsical, curious, fantastic, brooding, beautiful, and meticulously crafted. Each one makes you yearn to see more from this obscure talent. We were not fortunate enough to have met Kim Weed, but his artwork leaves a wonderful legacy for us to share in. Original Artwork For Sale (click image for larger picture): "Sad Girl with Foxes" by Kim Weed 17.5"x11.25" framed gouache on board $350.00  "Nudie Cutie" by Kim Weed 7.25"x10.5" framed mixed media on board $200.00  "Clown Girl" by Kim Weed 7"x9" framed oil on board $200.00  To purchase a piece, or for more information...Please Click Here