>La Grande Observer | Union and Wallowa Counties' News Leader

By Jeff Petersen

Observer Staff Writer

Between the bright lights of New York City and the inky nights of the Grande Ronde Valley is a yawning abyss.

But it can be bridged.

The late Ross Paxton is proof. And now the commercial illustrator's life and work is being celebrated in a 53-page memorial booklet printed by The Mitre's Touch.

The booklet, available beginning this week, includes four parts. The first is a 15-page biography written by Trish Yerges, and the second is a brief account of how Dave and Trish Yerges and Paxton's paths crossed. The third part is "My Say For Today," 90 of Paxton's poignant e-mail quotations. The fourth is an art memorial that includes paintings and illustrations.

Paxton, of Edgewater, N.J., first contacted Trish Yerges by e-mail to exclaim over her story on the Holley family, one of a series she is writing on the valley's century farms. That he was a successful illustrator born in the valley piqued her interest. Over the course of five months before his death on June 14, 2003, they exchanged well over 100 e-mails in which Paxton talked about his upbringing, how his artistic talent developed and how he made his dream come true.

Paxton was born at the old Grande Ronde Hospital on Feb. 3, 1931, to Charles and Belle Paxton and went to grade school in Elgin. The family lived on a small farm, and Paxton later recalled he often daydreamed about life in 1930s Elgin.

He loved the simplicity of life, that it had no surprises. He constantly explored the world around him, observing in flowers, meadowlarks and other flora and fauna all sorts of form and design.

In seventh grade his folks came to realize his gift for art. Ross had asked his father to order a drawing kit and course through the mail. This being the World War II years, with money tight, his father said yes — on the condition he complete the course.

Ross did, setting in motion of lifelong value of getting the job done.

Later, at Union High School, he got a lot of encouragement from teachers, in particular Mrs. Montana Rickards. She recognized his talent and went so far as to facilitate his participation in summer art classes in Eugene, where she was going anyway for continuing education classes.

"You could go to New York City with your talent," she told him.

Paxton dreamed about that. And in the meantime, he helped the Bobcat yearbook win an award for design and his was among eight Oregon entries in a nationwide art show in Pittsburg.

After graduation, he attended Burnley School of Art in Seattle and then in 1951 enlisted to serve in the Korean Conflict as a cook. After a stint at the University of New Mexico, he moved to New York, where the YMCA was his first home. There, he finished his degree and worked at the Barnes and Noble flagship store. Perhaps it was at the store that he spawned a lifelong love of reading, especially biographies and historical novels.

His Manhattan art career soon took off. He worked for two major illustrating agencies — Young & Rubicam and AC&R — with seven years of freelancing sandwiched in between.

He credits the head of AC&R, Alvin Chereskin, as the most influential in making his dreams come true. In 27 years of working for AC&R, Paxton worked on such prestigious accounts as Estee Lauder, Seiko watches, Harper's Bazaar, Vogue magazine, London Fog raincoats and Health-Tex children's clothing.

His work showed in Manhattan galleries and turned up occasionally in the New York Times. And he made some famous acquaintances, including the father of pop art, Andy Warhol, whom he shared lunches with at the Serendipity. He once dined at Warhol's apartment on Czech soup whipped up by Warhol's mother.

After 27 years with AC&R, Paxton retired in 1992. Between then and when he came into contact with the Yergeses, he had more or less put his paints in mothballs, feeling he was burned out.

That all changed when the Yerges suggested that he illustrate a children's book, something he had never done before. Paxton loved the idea. By the time of his death, Paxton had finished 30 drawings that will illustrate the soon to be published "The Adventures of Scooper the Beagle Dog."

As Paxton began on the computer, as he said all illustration is done these days, he worked up to his typical frenzy. He got the job done.

His love of illustrating had been rekindled in pictures that recalled those innocent times decades before in Elgin. And the Yergeses found a "wonderful human being — warm, easy to like, generous," Trish said.

"In that respect, we gave each other a gift."