I was raised on a dairy farm in New Hampshire and moved West when I was a teenager. After high school and one and a half semesters of college in Arizona I decided to head to California to find more options to help me decide what direction I wanted to pursue. I worked various jobs from selling womens' shoes, restaurant, title insurance, retail management and finally ending with landscape work with a contractor in Los Gatos. I went out on my own somewhere around '85 doing mainly landscape maintenace with some installation. I moved back to Arizona in 1992 and continued with landscape work and nursery mgmt.
Around 1995 I took a trip with a friend to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico and discovered some amazing gourd art by an artist named Robert Rivera. I became so inspired I started fooling around with gourds beginning with a Walmart wood burner and some paint. As I progressed I realized that detail was my forte- inspired by Native American geometric pottery designs with some Asian influence. In 1997 I joined the Artists' Coop in Jerome, Arizona and put my work on display for sale. I was amazed that people were taken with my work and actually gave me money for it! I left the coop and my landscaping job in 2000 and began a career exhibiting at fine art shows in the Southwest. The Sedona Arts Festival was my first show and followed by upscale shows in the Phoenix area, Santa Fe, the Bay Area and So. Cal.
My techniqes include: relief carving, pyro-engraving, metal leafing, acrylic dots, ink dyes, inlaid stone, bamboo/reed handles and are finished with a patinaed bronze application.
2010 AWARDS INCLUDE: BEST OF SHOW-SANTA FE PLAZA ARTS FESTIVAL-August
BEST OF SHOW-SEDONA ARTS FESTIVAL-October
My work can be seen at the LANNING GALLERY, Hozho Center, Sedona, Arizona
Tel.-928-282-6865
www.lanninggallery.com
My work has been recently installed (as of 01/19/2011) at VAN GOGH'S EAR GALLERY, 156B South Montezuma, (Whiskey Row) Prescott, Arizona
Tel.- 928-776-1080
www.vgegallery.com
My work will be featured under "Things We Love" (Pg. 53) in the Fall/Winter issue of WESTERN ART & ARCHITECTURE publication!
Arizona Collectors Guide-2011-2012-Van Gogh's Ear Gallery-Page 237
Around 1995 I took a trip with a friend to Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico and discovered some amazing gourd art by an artist named Robert Rivera. I became so inspired I started fooling around with gourds beginning with a Walmart wood burner and some paint. As I progressed I realized that detail was my forte- inspired by Native American geometric pottery designs with some Asian influence. In 1997 I joined the Artists' Coop in Jerome, Arizona and put my work on display for sale. I was amazed that people were taken with my work and actually gave me money for it! I left the coop and my landscaping job in 2000 and began a career exhibiting at fine art shows in the Southwest. The Sedona Arts Festival was my first show and followed by upscale shows in the Phoenix area, Santa Fe, the Bay Area and So. Cal.
My techniqes include: relief carving, pyro-engraving, metal leafing, acrylic dots, ink dyes, inlaid stone, bamboo/reed handles and are finished with a patinaed bronze application.
2010 AWARDS INCLUDE: BEST OF SHOW-SANTA FE PLAZA ARTS FESTIVAL-August
BEST OF SHOW-SEDONA ARTS FESTIVAL-October
My work can be seen at the LANNING GALLERY, Hozho Center, Sedona, Arizona
Tel.-928-282-6865
www.lanninggallery.com
My work has been recently installed (as of 01/19/2011) at VAN GOGH'S EAR GALLERY, 156B South Montezuma, (Whiskey Row) Prescott, Arizona
Tel.- 928-776-1080
www.vgegallery.com
My work will be featured under "Things We Love" (Pg. 53) in the Fall/Winter issue of WESTERN ART & ARCHITECTURE publication!
Arizona Collectors Guide-2011-2012-Van Gogh's Ear Gallery-Page 237
© BILL COLLIGEN/GOURD VESSELS