Craig:
Any other info that you want to add, please feel free!
Bill: As I mentioned before
I have been artistic since I was very
young. That set the foundation for the kind of painting I do
today.
I believe my artistic skills come from a combination
of a natural
gift and years and years of JUST doing it to hone
my craft kind of
like Michael Jordan with basketball.
I studied art all through school
and college and received a BFA
in illustration but again, I credit most of my ability
from JUST doing
it all the time. It also helps to have very supportive
parents (two people to whom I am forever grateful) who encouraged
me in all
my artistic endeavors. I also believe I learn something
from each
painting to become better and better. I also think over
the years my
eye has become conditioned to see things more accurately. That
is evident from my paintings today compared to ones 15 years
ago.
My sense of lighting, everything is enhanced.
Also, regarding Sly and
my relationship with him, it really goes back to 1976
after I saw "Rocky". To this
day, I have never felt better leaving a movie theater as I did
with "Rocky". I was only 12 years old
and it
had a very strong impact on me. So inspiring. I was so pumped
up after seeing "Rocky" that night, I
went home and did several one handed pushups. Maybe not as graceful
as Sly but I did them. "Rocky" literally
got me into working out with weights and is something I still
do on a regular basis and will always
do. Even to this day, when I watch the training montage and
the fight scenes in the 14th and 15th rounds
of "Rocky", I get chills. Plus the music by
Bill Conti is incredible. Later on I learned about Sly
not selling
the script unless he played Rocky which was even more
inspiring. I also believe "Rocky" and its sequels
are a big reason a lot of my subject matter is patriotic
and "American" themed with themes of strength,
victory and triumph being a common thread in a lot of my work.
Jumping ahead, in 1986,
still living in Missouri, I did some drawings
and paintings of Sly and sent pictures of them
to the owner of this gym called The Santa Monica Bodybuilding
Center. His name was George Pitasik and Sly
worked out there at the time. All this information was obtained
from an article on Sly in the
October 1985 issue of Muscle & Fitness magazine.
In a separate letter, I asked the owner to please give
the enclosed contents to Sly when he comes in to work
out. I didn't hear anything for about 3 months and frankly
didn't think I ever would.
I then received a letter
from Sly's office from his personal assistant saying
he was not interested in any art
at that time but they would keep my photos in their files. Also,
they enclosed an autographed photo signed
to me from Sly. So from there, I had a direct contact
to Sly's office.
I then did a nice painting ("Stallone
Montage I" on my site) of Sly at the end
of 1986-early '87. I sent a nice big photo of it to Sly's
office as a gift to him not expecting anything. About a
week later, the phone rang and
I answered it. The woman said she was Sly's personal assistant
calling about the painting. I remember
my heart pounding when she told me who she was. She asked me
all kinds of questions about the
original and if it was for sale and if so, what the price was
because Sly was very interested in it. I said yes
it is for sale and just quoted some price off the top of my
head. She said "is that your firm price?" I said,
"yes". I was totally caught off-guard not thinking
anyone would call. She called back the next day and told
me "you sold a painting!" I couldn't believe it. Right
out of college I sold a painting to someone who has inspired
me so much. He admired my art like I did his. The rest, as they
say, is history.
Craig: What a great
story! Bill, I want to thank you for taking the
time to catch us up on what you've been
doing. It's crazy how your admiration for Sly inspired
your art and how that has led you back to working for
his magazine. Please do keep us posted on your progress on
issue three as well as your Rocky 6
"spritual painting." Thanks again!
- Craig
