Comments on: Bill Creevy – Pastel Explorer – In Memoriam…

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Mon, 13 Feb 2023 03:54:14 +0000

In reply to William Peters. William! Oh William, thank you so much for sharing your own experience and connection with Bill. How wonderful you knew him as a young man. Thank you for adding to this appreciation of this artist and man, so generous, so funny, so dedicated to his craft!

By: William Peters

William Peters — Fri, 10 Feb 2023 05:36:15 +0000

Thanks for your tribute to Bill. For some reason I stumbled across his FB page this evening and thus learned of his death now over two years ago.
My knowing him dates back to when I was a freshman or sophomore art student at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge around 1965-66. Bill was in grad school working toward his Masters in Fine Arts. He was a skinny young man usually attired in jeans and khaki long-sleeved shirt with sleeve rolled up. He was always generous to me, open to conversation even with the likes of me, a shy, rather unsure guy. I often drank coffee while he ate his lunch or supper in Union cafeteria on campus and we chatted.
What always struck me about him was something in his character that was, well, rather « old world. » I knew that he was from New Orleans, somewhat of a « ‘Yat , »accent (similar to Brooklyn accent)—but more than that he had a craftsman’s bearing. What I was witnessing was his real dedication to becoming an artist. I always appreciated his kind friendliness. I’m not surprised to read the words of appreciation here for him. What better epitaph for a life well lived.

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 00:44:00 +0000

In reply to Barbara Genco. I think I need to get some of this board! Thanks Barbara!

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Sat, 02 Jan 2021 00:43:26 +0000

In reply to Barbara Genco. Barbara, thanks so much for your detailed reply - so helpful!!

By: Barbara Genco

Barbara Genco — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 19:54:34 +0000

In reply to Chris Mitts. Barbara again...recently Bill had embraced Multimedia Art Board as a support. For him they became a sort of the ‘grab and go ahead and just paint!’ choice. It is dimensionally stable and can take a lot of working and changes; it really held up under his experimental applications. Have fun.

By: Barbara Genco

Barbara Genco — Fri, 01 Jan 2021 18:56:35 +0000

In reply to Chris Mitts.

Bill most often sized his wc papers. He used acrylic gesso. I think that he often used PVA size as well. He applied the PVA size to the fresh sheets and then often often sprayed each layer…always understanding that it might affect the intensity of the pigments. In the last 15- 20 years he rarely used any other kind of final or layered sizing than these two products…though good old water and alcohol were always in his arsenal.
–Barbara Genco (Bill’s partner)

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 22:06:36 +0000

In reply to RC in Australia.

RC, thank you for sharing your experience and sadness and shock with us. And OMG, that you have TWO copies of each of his books, just in case! Bill’s Pastel Book evidently had the same effect on you as it did on me. I now wish I had his Oil Book – added to my list. There’s so much inspiration to be had from the Pastel book which, like you, I revisit from time to time. It always gives me the umph I need! Thank you for expressing how his work and words have affected you in your art life.

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 22:02:40 +0000

In reply to Maïmouna Thomas. Ahhhh Maïmouna, thank you for sharing your story. Bill's passing is such a shock to us all. It seems unimaginable that I won't be able to have another conversation (two-way at least) with him. I'm sorry this is the reminder to get his book. I'm hoping we will do some Bill-type experimentation in the IGNITE! membership so, as an IGNITEr, look out for that!

By: Gail Sibley

Gail Sibley — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 21:53:02 +0000

In reply to Chris Mitts.

Hi Chris, great question….and I don’t know the answer. I’ll reach out to his life partner Barbara and see if she has some answers…

By: Maïmouna Thomas

Maïmouna Thomas — Thu, 31 Dec 2020 15:02:58 +0000

I’m reacting a bit late. I didn’t know Bill Creevy before one of your interview videos of him, you published on You Tube. I think, it’s him who says you can looseness up better when your sketch is accurate. I even had copied one of his paintings representing a tree (quite unusual painting, so much energetic and delicately as well as boldly colored). I was ready to ask my usual bookseller to order his book and the lockdown came, all plans were delayed, some of them even forgotten. And suddenly, I read the news of the end of his passage on earth, among us. Shock, surprise, remembering my intention of buying his book. Well, thank you dear Gail and I’m going to order The Pastel Book in early January.