BILL PALMER
WOOD ARTIST |
| Bill Palmer loves nature and he
loves wood. As a landscaper in Birmingham, Alabama for 25 years,
he developed a keen understanding of how plants grow and how
they can be affected by different influences. Pruning was
particularly satisfying as he could direct the growth of shrubs
and small trees. In this way, Bill was adding his own creative
energy to something much larger and more eternal than himself.
He was able to assist Nature's grand sculpting. This developed
into his mission to create unique sculpted furniture and wall
art that will long outlive him and bring pleasure to others for
generations to come. |
 |
|
 |
If there is a definitive style to
Bill Palmer's work, it would have to be his use of natural edges
and continuous curves, often flowing from one plane to another,
and done with exotic materials. His furniture pieces often
evolve from the natural-edged shape of the top or the grain flow
in another focal part. His pieces evoke meaning through
patterns. The fine details invite closer inspection and start
lively conversations. People often rub their hands lovingly
across the meticulously finished surfaces. |
|
| Having been an artist all his
life and after extensive art training in college, Bill
discovered a passion for woodworking in 1996. A full-time hobby
after hours, it developed into a second business in the spring
of 2004, as he marked the beginning of his first year as a
professional artist. At his very first art festival at the
Montgomery Museum of Fine Art in Montgomery, Alabama, his work
won the second place award. He has since continued to exhibit at
8-10 art shows a year throughout the south, winning many awards
and meeting many new friends and customers along the way. |
 |
|
 |
Bill was recently honored with the 2009
Fellowship Award for Craft, a very prestigious grant awarded by
the Alabama State Council on the Arts to two craft artists per
year. This award, which recognizes artistic excellence as well
as professional commitment and maturity, is based on merit of
work, career achievement, career potential and service to the
state. |
|
| In 2007, Bill
retired from landscaping to devote his full time and energy to
his wood art. His entire income now comes from sales of his work
and the many custom commissions he receives from patrons and art
collectors at art shows and festivals throughout the South.
"I believe that art really is a way of life. It's
in the appreciation of the details around us that we learn who
we are and how to love." |
 |
|
|
