1913-1988
“An Artist, Sculptor, and above all, a wise and beautiful Humanitarian”
This is His Story….
Lewis VanDercar was a Florida sculptor and surrealist painter known for his whimsical, otherworldly creations and larger-than-life persona. He became one of the most talked-about figures in surrealist art Florida had ever seen, blending tropical themes with mystical imagery. VanDercar first made a name for himself as a Miami surrealist sculptor in the 1960s, welcoming the public into his enchanted studio and sculpture garden at all hours. From crafting a fire-breathing dragon on Merritt Island to building his famed “Warlock House” in Wesley Chapel, his life and work remain a colorful part of Florida’s art history.
Early Life and Artistic Beginnings
Born in Flint, Michigan in 1913, VanDercar left school after the eighth grade and entered the Navy during the Great Depression to help support his family. In the late 1930s he worked as an animator in Miami (drawing Popeye cartoons) before serving as a merchant seaman in the Merchant Marine during World War II. After the war he wore many hats – even working as an aircraft engineer, construction worker, and plumbing shop owner – but art was his true calling. By the early 1960s, he realized he could make a living from his hobby of painting and sculpting, and he never looked back.
Miami’s Bohemian Surrealist
Settling in Miami, VanDercar transformed his home (at 331 NW 18th Street in the Morningside area) into an open-invite studio and sculpture garden, run like a bohemian salon. He lived there with his wife Margaret and their two children, David and Muggins, and warmly welcomed anyone to drop by to talk art or watch him work. The yard overflowed with his cement sculptures – grotesque gargoyles, mythical creatures, and “faces of every age and culture” peering from the walls. Visitors (including neighborhood kids) were free to explore this whimsical menagerie of surrealist art.
VanDercar liked to style himself as a warlock and clairvoyant, even adopting the tongue-in-cheek title “Magus Supreme, pro tem of the Supreme Order of Magi.” He cheerfully claimed to have mysterious powers like ESP and levitation – all part of the quirky mystique that surrounded him. Ever the prankster, he placed outrageous classified ads in The Miami Herald as a form of performance art: offering a “pet poltergeist” for sale, advertising a “swamp-colored UFO” (“must qualify”), or peddling giant mythological “roc eggs” (which turned out to be cement-covered garbage). These absurd hoaxes often landed him in the news and endeared him to those who appreciated absurdist humor. “Some people called the former artist crazy; others said he was a genius,” the Miami Herald noted in a profile – to which VanDercar quipped, “I’m both… I think us geniuses should be modest.”
Surreal Art and Public Installations in Florida
By the mid-20th century, VanDercar had become a fixture in Florida’s offbeat art scene. He took on imaginative commissions that suited his surreal vision. For example, he created artificial mountains for resorts and theme parks, and even built a concrete gorilla’s lair for the famous Monkey Jungle attraction in South Dade. His most famous work, however, appeared a bit farther north in Brevard County: a colossal dragon sculpture on Merritt Island. In 1971, VanDercar was hired to build “Annie” the Dragon at Dragon Point, a project that combined his artistic talent with his flair for the fantastical.
VanDercar and property owner Aynn Christal hauled 20 tons of concrete and steel via wheelbarrow to create this 65-foot-long, 35-foot-tall dragon where the Banana and Indian Rivers meet. The hollow dragon was even outfitted with stairs inside and red lights for eyes, and on special occasions it breathed fire. This Dragon Point Merritt Island art installation quickly became a roadside legend – “Annie” stood guard over the lagoon for decades, delighting boaters and visitors as a true Space Coast landmark. It remains one of VanDercar’s signature contributions to Florida’s surreal art landscape, fondly remembered even after the dragon’s eventual decay.
The Warlock House in Wesley Chapel and Later Years
In 1973, at the height of his fame, VanDercar left Miami in search of quieter surroundings. He purchased about eight acres of land in Quail Hollow (near Wesley Chapel, north of Tampa) and built an ivy-covered dome home of his own design. This unique residence – later nicknamed the “Warlock House” – looked like a series of hobbit-esque caves. VanDercar continued sculpting and painting on this new property, turning it into an outdoor gallery of fantastical art. The driveway was lined with stone walls carved into eerie faces, and odd statues (dragons, tiki heads, and mythical figures) populated the yard. Local youths in the late 1970s recall venturing down the winding, sparsely-lit road to glimpse the spooky enchanted compound; few could resist the allure of this mysterious place in the woods, chained off and guarded by gargoyles.
Despite his semi-retirement to Pasco County, VanDercar never stopped creating. He even returned to Miami in 1984 to help restore the historic limestone bridge at Arch Creek Park, lending his painting skills to make new concrete look like aged stone. He was literally painting up until days before his death. VanDercar passed away in 1988 at age 75, succumbing to heart failure at his dome-home studio in Wesley Chapel. In his own words, he had spent “30 years and died doing what he liked” – a fulfilled artist’s life.
Today, Lewis VanDercar’s offbeat legacy continues to enchant art lovers, history buffs, and the curious. His former Wesley Chapel hideaway, once called “The Enchantment”, newly re-named “The Warlock House Enchantment”, still stands as a folk-art landmark and occasionally opens its doors for art events and tours. Visitors to the property can see first-hand the fading but magical world he built – a true testament to one man’s boundless creativity and imagination. And though Annie the Dragon at Dragon Point eventually crumbled into the river, efforts have been made to memorialize or even rebuild it, underscoring how beloved VanDercar’s work remains in Florida lore.
Sources and Further Reading
– Public Affairs Reporting blog – Lewis Vandercar Obituary (reprint of Miami Herald article).
– Dave (blog author), “Lewis Vandercar – Miami’s Andy Warhol,” Miami Memories (July 7, 2007).
– Space Coast Daily, “Merritt Island Dragon ‘Annie’ Served as Lagoon Landmark…,” Feb. 25, 2024.
– Modernism.com, Lewis Vandercar – Miami Magic (artist bio).