From the energy and drama of the great American city to the romance of the Italian hill towns, from the back roads of the Midwest to the Plains of Thrace, Bill Bartelt’s watercolors showcase his unique perspective and a lifetime of observation.
How long have you been an artist?
B: I can’t ever remember not being an artist.
Tell me about your first attempts to be creative.
B: Ever since I was a little kid, trying to draw pictures of my train set, I’ve seen the world as something I wanted to depict in one form or another. I was very taken with Disney’s“Pinocchio”, particularly Monstro the whale, and I remember drawing whales every where—on paper, in the margins of books, on the walls. I’m still fascinated with whales. Although I’d never actually seen one, at age 6 or 7 I drew my first naked lady on a chalkboard in the basement. I forgot to erase it and I’ll always be grateful to my parents that they didn’t make a big deal about it when they saw it.
What are your inspirations?
B: As a painter, the rural landscape of the midwest, the urban landscape, and the human figure are my main inspirations as subject matter. I guess that covers quite a bit of the world around me. Animals not so much, except that currently I’m working on a portrait of my dear dog who recently passed away.
How do you recharge when your creativity hits the wall?
B: Fortunately, that has never been much of a problem for me. The work I do is very diverse, from designing sets for the entertainment industry, to painting watercolors for galleries and art fairs, and teaching workshops at my studio; that keeps me hopping, imaginatively. I paint a lot of gritty urban scenes during the year, pictures of bridges, el tracks, railroads, alleys and factories, etc., so it’s nice to alternate that with some figure painting to sooth my eyes and give me something soft and smooth to look at for a while.
What gives you hope in the world?
B: Although I’m often discouraged, and feel that we humans really haven’t learned all that much about living together, I am thrilled with the democratic movements taking place in Egypt. Whenever democracy wins out over tyranny, and whenever reason wins out over backwardness and superstition, I think there may be a glimmer of hope.
What is your favorite art related website?
B: I don’t have a particular, but I love surfing the web in search of other artists and their works. It’s really kind of thrilling to read about a painting I’m not familiar with, and be able to instantly google it. Paintings and other artworks (including my own) look terrific on computer screens. Often much better than they do in books. But it’s still satisfying to sit down with a big coffee table book and look at the works of my favorite artists.
What are your artistic goals?
B: I feel that my best work is ahead of me. With each new work I begin, I want to become a better painter. My painting time is taken up mostly with my urban landscapes, because that is what I exhibit. But eventually I would like to be known for my figure work as well. One of my goals is to be able to take the time for that, and to get it out there to be seen .
What has been your most exciting moment as an artist?
B: It was quite exciting to realize that people like my work and want to collect it. But in a creative sense, “figuring out” the figure was an exciting moment for me. Although I still have an enormous amount to learn about it, I think what I have found out about conveying the human form informs all of the other areas of my work. Every venture into a new painting is an exciting journey.
To view Bill's water color paintings, check out his website at www.billbartelt.com
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