Will Lytle / folk artist
To mark its 50th anniversary in 2019, the Catskill Center published a book, Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of the Catskills, which celebrates 50 stewards of the Catskills, chosen for their contributions to the region’s environment, economy and culture. Will Lytle is one of those stewards.
Artist and illustrator Will Lytle was born and raised in West Hurley near the Ashokan Reservoir, next to hundreds of acres of open forest and coastland. “An unrepentant doodler as a kid,” he has spent countless hours capturing the flora and fauna of the region.
His work, synonymous with the Catskills, has a loyal fan base.
Photo: Heather Phelps-Lipton
As Lytle puts it, with his illustrations he tries to “journalistically report the wildness of the animals and the landscape.”
What do you love about the Catskills?
We’re on this line – you can step into some really profound wilderness spaces that are really quiet, far away, and not at all about people, and you can take a step in the other direction and have an incredible, human cultural experience. It’s like being near the heart of the empire – it’s throbbing pretty close by. Of course, I like the wilderness more, but it wouldn’t be the same if it didn’t have that connection.
Why do you think your illustrations resonate so much with people?
There is something about this landscape that is really special. You don’t need an artist to tell you that. You can walk in and feel it for yourself. I gravitate towards artists who try to render what they see without adding too much of their own stuff. That’s what I’m trying to do.
Photo: Heather Phelps-Lipton
Do you spend a lot of time in the woods?
I’ve become more and more obsessed with how remarkable it is. I’ve had the opportunity to travel to some amazing places, but almost every time I go somewhere, I’m like, ‘Eh, almost as good.’
How has the region changed in your time?
In the early nineties, my second grade class was huge. I went to West Hurley Elementary School, and had some really good friends. Then, over the summer, right before third grade, IBM shut down. They were all IBM kids. They moved away. It was heart crushing. My school just disappeared. Then, the Catskills I grew up in felt like a ghost town.
On being named a steward?
I’m incredibly honored. I’m a hometown kid. I’m very nerdy about hometown stuff, so it’s like a dream come true. Not in any vain way. I just love the Catskills.
More about Will can be found at Thorneater Comics / on Instagram / on Facebook
Download a high-res file of Will’s “Spring Birds” in the Catskills Coloring Page.
“Spring Birds” was created for the Summer 2018 Issue of Catskill Magazine, the quarterly newsletter of the Catskill Center. Catskill Magazine is available online and sent to Catskill Center membership everywhere.
Whatcha up to these days, Will?
“I'm spending a lot of time in the woods and working on a new comic.”
Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of the Catskills
The newest publication of the Catskill Center for Conservation and Development, Natural Resources: 50 Stewards of the Catskills, was created in 2019 to honor the Catskill Center’s 50th anniversary. The book celebrates 50 stewards of the Catskills, chosen for their contributions to the Catskills’ environment, economy and culture.