Artist Biography

Bill Buchman, an internationally represented American artist is on the faculty of the Ringling College - Longboat Key Center for the Arts, Longboat Key, FL. Before moving in 2001 to Sarasota, where he has his studio, Bill lived and worked as an artist for twenty years in Europe, primarily in Copenhagen and Paris. 

Accomplished as artist and educator, Bill gives workshops around the country on both abstract painting and figure drawing and has made popular educational DVD’s on both of these subjects. In conjunction with his teaching Bill is sponsored by Savoir Faire, leading importer of the finest European art materials. His innovative new book, “Expressive Figure Drawing”, published by Watson-Guptill/Random House, has just been released and is now widely available. He studied painting and drawing with renowned teacher Victor D’Amico at the Museum of Modern Art’s Institute of Modern Art, East Hampton, NY and also with leading American figurative painter Fletcher Martin at the Albany Institute of Art, in Albany, NY. Bill attended Cornell University, School of Fine Arts and Boston University, School of Liberal Arts and has a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree in music from the New England Conservatory of Music. Buchman’s brightly colored spontaneous abstractions and his expressive figure drawings may be seen in private and public collections in Denmark, Sweden, England and the US.

 

Bill is also an accomplished jazz pianist and composer(see Music Biography)., a writer of film music, poetry, and children’s stories and a photographer too. 

Bill says, of his work,

"I  take the position in my art, against most bets, that the antidote to the nihilism of today lies with an art whose attitude is unflinching affirmation of all that is good in our past and present and hopeful in our future. Harmony is my keynote. Ideas from the realm of music are my main source of inspiration. At the same time, a broad spectrum of ideas and techniques of European Modernism of the early 20th century, the artistic philosophy and methods of Chinese and Japanese painting, as well as Renaissance and Classical concepts all provide me with bearings for my voyage through uncharted waters." 

 

Bill's newest works are on view at Gallerihuset,  Strandvejen 138A in Hellerup, Copenhagen, Denmark. On January 13 of 2011 an exhibition entitled The Expressive Figure, celebrating the release of Bill's new book will be held at the Ringling College Long Boat Key Center for the Arts on Longboat Key in Florida. (See Upcoming Exhibitions)

 *NEWS : In tandem with his new book , Bill has come  out with an exclusive signature line of Sumi brushes and bamboo pens which are available on Amazon. Check them out here: Zen Sumi Brushes. Bill's instructional DVD's , "Art Is an Attitude:The Art Of Figure Drawing" and "Creative Breakout: The Art of Freedom",  have been very well received and are available in art stores throughout the US and online. You may learn more about them, see clips, and get them now at:
www.billbuchman.com/instructional-art-dvds/  .

Also Coming  Soon: a new series of DVD's on Contemporary and Traditional Art Materials including the Reed Pens, and Sumi Brushes!

Check out the article from May 27th, 2009 in "New Times" San Luis Obispo, CA: www.newtimesslo.com/art/2644/not-your-average-bowloffruit-painting/

 

And this article at "Your Observer": www.yourobserver.com/news/sarasota/A-and-E/010620103923/Figurative-language

 

Selected Publications:

New Book:

Expressive Figure Drawing (Watson-Guptill/Random House) December 2010

DVD’s:

Zen Breakout: Contempory Experimental Art with Sumi Brushes, Reed Pens, and Mixed Media 2011

Creativity Breakout: The Art of Freedom, 2009 

 

 

 

Art Is an Attitude: The Art of Drawing the Figure, 2008

CD’s:

Out Of The Blue, 2004,

Birthday Party w. Sammy Rimington, 1998

Children’s Short Stories:

Solomon’s Wish, 2002

God Smiles, 2001

Poetry Book:

Suite for Modern Man, 1988

Film Scores:

Silence of Flight, 1998

Transformations, 1986

LP:

Easy Street, 1980

Posters:

Faroe Islands Jazz Festival, 2000; Galleri Aalborghallen, 1999; Gallerihuset, 1997; Landskrona Konsthall, 1995; Gammelgaard Kulturhus, 1991

 Selected Exhibitions:

• Ringling College Longboat Key Center for the Arts -2011

• Tennis Gardens. Longboat Key Club -Longboat Key, FL, 2010

• Herning Kunstmesse · Denmark, 2009