HERCEL STALLARD

1929 - 2015

Well known and respected Watercolor Artist and teacher, Hercel Stallard, passed away peacefully, May 1, 2015, at the age of 85. Mr. Stallard was born in Wise, Virginia, June 26, 1929, one of five children of Leonard and Nervesta Stallard. In January of 1949, he married Essie Rasnick, to whom he was married for 56 years until her passing in 2006. As a young boy, Hercel would draw pictures or cartoon characters with a pencil or charcoal on any type of paper he could get his hands on, from used envelopes to paper bags.
It had always been Hercel's dream to become an artist, but first he had a family to provide for, so he worked as Assistant Manager of Kroger's in Norton, Virginia, and painted signs on the side to earn extra money. In 1960, he moved his family to Jacksonville, Florida, where he would have a better opportunity of reaching that dream. Eventually he was able to own and operate a very successful commercial art business from the early 1960's until mid 1980's, at which time he decided to sell the company and pursue his dream of watercolor painting full time. Being mostly a self-taught watercolorist, Mr. Stallard attended workshops and studied under some of the best watercolorists in the country, including Ed Whitney, Tony Couch, and Bill Proctor. Mr. Stallard taught workshops around the Southeast. He also taught classes at the Jacksonville Museum of Contemporary Art, the Cummer Museum of Art, two classes a week at his studio on Art Museum Drive in Jacksonville, and one class a week at the studio on his property in Palatka. He built a studio in Wise, Virginia where he taught workshops during the Spring, and during the vibrant color season in the Fall. Mr. Stallard is well known and respected not only for his ability as a watercolorist, but for being a kind and patient teacher, an amazing story teller of tall tales, but also respected for being a true gentleman and mentor to many. He has been written about in many publications and revered as one of the top artists in the State of Florida, receiving his own recognition in the book, REFLECTIONS II, Watercolors of Florida, 1835 - 2000, from the collection of Cici and Hyatt Brown.
Mr. Stallard is survived by his daughter, Alicia Miller (Gary), and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Memorial services will be held in the Jacksonville Memory Gardens Chapel on Wednesday morning, May 6, 2015. The family will greet friends from 10:00 a.m. until the service begins at 11:00 a.m., Rev. J.D. Brown, Mr. Stallard's brother-in-law officiating. Burial will immediately follow the service, where Mr. Stallard will be placed beside his beloved wife, Essie, in The Garden of Prayer section of the cemetery. Pallbearers: Tom Daniel, Brian Pannell, Spencer Whiting, Larry Ward, Rick Sutton and Ralph Appleby.
Honorary Pallbearers: Alan Miller, Gary Miller, Glenn Anderson.
Please sign the online guestbook at www.jacksonvillememorygardens.com