publishers. The Morrison Financial Advertising Agency hired him and his work expanded into magazine illustrations. Cloud later moved to Chicago and became art director for the Baumgarth Calendar Company.
Cloud wrote:“ My success in life partly may have been due to my limited formal education; I was naïve; I didn’ t know what I couldn’ t do, and went ahead and did it.”
Carey and Vera Cloud’ s family grew to include two sons, and they spent summer vacations in Brown County. They bought artist Adolph Shulz’ s studio property.
It was at this time that Cloud drew a single column comic called“ Luke Barker” for the Bonnet-Brown Newspaper Syndicate. Luke Barker was a rail-fence philosopher and became so popular that there was a noonday radio program broadcast from Indianapolis featuring the character.
He also produced illustrations for Blue Book magazine and invented a patented pop-up design for children’ s books.
But The Depression brought down all these endeavors. The family left Brown County to return to Chicago, where steady employment came with the advertising department of Cracker Jack. This eventually led to Cloudcrest Creations, the trade name adopted for Cloud’ s toy designs. Cloud’ s career of designing Cracker Jack toy prizes lasted 25 years.
Financially successful, the Clouds returned to Brown County where they bought acreage from Mary Murray Vawter. It was one mile south of Nashville and had a chalet-type home and a 100-year old caretaker’ s cabin which served as his studio for the next 30 years.
When he was 65 years old Cloud made a serious commitment to painting. He called his technique“ realism in depth.” He was not readily accepted by the Brown County artistic community, but in 1949 he served as host for three days to twenty members of the Chicago Art Guild. Their watercolors were featured in Ford Times magazine. A Carey Cloud picture of a sorghum mill brought a query from California asking where the syrup could be purchased. This brought Cloud the recognition of the Brown County Art Gallery.
His inspiration included old barns, churches, feed stores, and the earthy lives of simple folks. He was asked to join the Brown County Art Association and eventually served three terms as president. He played a major role in helping the group obtain a new gallery in 1962.
Puss in Boots pop-up book.
Carey Cloud had art shows in the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Building and the Indiana University Union Building. One painting done in North Carolina of a dilapidated building with“ Truman” graffiti was bought by Senator Birch Bayh as a gift for President Truman. It is now housed in the Truman Library.
He was a featured guest at numerous radio talk shows and was covered by major magazines. In 1979 Cloud was interviewed by
Charles Kuralt for the well-known TV program“ Charles Kuralt, On the Road for Walter Cronkite.”
The beloved wife and supporter of this self-made man, Vera, died in the spring of 1971. His autobiography was published in 1983. Carey Cloud died a year later, leaving his own tangible mark. He always said,“ Ideas breed ideas.”
There is a display of his Cracker Jack prizes and book at the Brown County History Center.•
THE BREEZE continued from 30 success, followed by near destitution during the depression. But the pottery survived into the 1950s, and one piece recently sold for more than $ 58,000.
Marie Goth was a very successful portraitist. She lived until 1975 and never stopped painting. Marie and her sister Genevieve, both painters, were exceptionally close. Genevieve had supported Marie at the beginning of her career. Together they sing about their amazing life.
According to writer Louisa Dyer, the performances in The Breeze Bends the Grass are hauntingly powerful. The women they portray will speak to the soul of every person who has ever been determined to live who they really are.
As the lyrics conclude:“ Life is hard, not often or even ever fair … but the world is full of wonder. An old sycamore casting its shadow on new snow. The fire that turns cold metal to liquid curves. And even in a dry year, there is the way the breeze bends the grass.”
Tickets are available on-line at < browncountyplayhouse. org > and at the Brown County Playhouse Box Office at 70 South Van Buren Street in Nashville, or call( 812) 988-6555. •
Sept./ Oct. 2016 • Our Brown County 69