Duncan Greenlee, The Highlander’s cartoonist for 40 years, will showcase his work in an art exhibit at the Albert-Carlton Cashiers Community Library from July 18 through Aug. 9. The exhibit will feature The Highlander cartoons, watercolors, pen-and-ink sketches and paintings ranging from impressionistic and realistic to fantasy.
An artist reception will be held July 18 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the library, where Greenlee will answer questions and give each attendee a dime to keep for the rest of their life, though he isn't revealing why just yet.
He will also give a brief speech about the upcoming coat drive and “Crock Pot Project”, which promotes slow-cooker use as a way to make meals more communal again.
Greenlee said he knew he wanted to pursue art as soon as he could hold a pencil, thanks to the influence of his father, an industrial designer. He learned to draw by watching The Woody the Woodpecker Show, and later attended the Cleveland Institute of Art to study illustration. He cited Claude Monet, John Singer Sargent and Winslow Homer as some of his greatest artistic influences.
“There are two things that I want to do with my artwork,” said Greenlee. “I try to paint something that is realistic, but at the same time, has a message to it. I want to present the world as it is, and I also want to present it as it could be.”
Born and raised in Gates Mill, Ohio, Greenlee relocated to Highlands after spending summers there with his father, saying it became “harder and harder to leave”. He first made his mark on the town as a landscaper before joining The Highlander as its cartoonist in 1986.
“The first ever cartoon for The Highlander was about building inspectors,” said Greenlee. “It was kind of silly. It was an inspector saying ‘You need to dig more holes, and you have too many holes here.’”
Greenlee said his most memorable cartoons focused on the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Those were the two times when the cartoons were more than just cartoons,” said Greenlee.
They were trying to help people keep their spirits up and keep on going.”
Greenlee said the humor in his cartoons has become gentler over the years as the world has grown more polarized. While he realizes he cannot make everyone happy, he said he typically receives positive feedback.
“I try to keep it between the ditches,” said Greenlee. “But sometimes the biggest ditch is in the middle of the road.”
His time in Highlands has often shaped his artistic style and subject matter. Inspired by the Plateau’s picturesque landscapes, Greenlee has translated his appreciation for the area’s natural beauty into his work.
“These mountains have shaped my art because they were, for me, like coming home,” said Greenlee. “I have been a much happier person since I moved to Highlands, so my paintings are also happier. Most of them are about the natural world.”
Greenlee chooses different artistic mediums depending on subject matter. He uses pen-and-ink for cartoons, watercolors for his calendar pages in The Laurel Magazine, and acrylic for larger paintings because of the brilliance of their colors.
Looking ahead, Greenlee plans to expand upon his watercolor art while shifting his focus towards painting people and Highlands landmarks that have already disappeared or that may soon disappear. He will also continue running his landscaping business and serving the community as a Rotarian.
Greenlee will host a second exhibit from Nov. 1 through January 2027, which will feature his holiday and winter-themed works.
To purchase artwork from the exhibit, attendees can place a sticker on the pieces they are interested in. Greenlee will then produce prints of those works.
“I hope my legacy in the Plateau will be three things. I tried to run a landscaping company where I put my customers and employees tied for first,” said Greenlee. “The second thing is that I hope that my work as a Rotarian in trying to fight poverty will be remembered…The third thing is I’m going to continue to draw and paint, and I hope my drawings and paintings will live on after me.”
Mitch Stone is a reporter at The Highlander and can be reached at reporter@highlandsnews.com