2. Ponchatoula resident found himself with nothing to
do-and all day to do it. On his daily jogs along u.s.
51 in Ponchatoula, he would pass the Louisiana
Furniture and Art Gallery and look through the
window at a particular bare spot on the wall near the
store window After pondering about it for days, he
asked shop co-owner Carol Siekkinen if he could make
a painting for her to hang on the wall there. Smitten by
Bill'scharm and unassuming demeanor, she agreed, not
knowing what to expect. Even Billwas unsure what he
would create. But it would change his life.
A self-admitted former hippie, Bills lifestyle even
to this day is one of, shall we say, thrift. He is attuned
to finding new life for that which others cast aside, as
evidenced by his first painting, created from well-
seasoned boards and leftover house paints that people
were only too happy to get rid of. "I used house
paints and boards because I didn't have any money
Artist Bill Hemmerling
by Jamey Landry THEY USED TO SAY,"LIFE IS BETTER AT SEARS."
If you ask our cover artist, Bill Hemmerling, he might
say life is better after Sears.
"I worked there for 35 years," Bill says. His job
was to travel throughout Louisiana and set the store
displays and other merchandising efforts in a time
when retailing didn't mean big-box stores. Using an
eloquently simple vocabulary that itself echoes his
simple but eclectic art style, Bill explains that the job
changed, and that later motivated him to become an
artist. In his early retail career, he notes, he was
encouraged to show more artistic freedom in setting
up displays. As retailing became more price driven,
and design was dictated by rigid "design books"
created in Chicago, it was evident to Bill that his
enthusiasm was waning. "They finally made me retire
because it wasn't fun anymore," he says, true to his
nature of using words carefully chosen to never
intentionally say or do an unkind thing to anyone.
Bills retirement came about four years ago. The
20 INSIDE NORTHSIDE
then," Bill explains. When he presented Carol with
that first painting, a near silhouette of a young black
girl in light summer clothes, she immediately
recognized the genius in the composition's utter
simplicity It sold within days of its first display
That first painting four years ago was a watershed
event, as collectors began to take notice of Bills work.
His "Sweet Olive" series is Bills signature style, an
apparent evolution of his first painting. In his
characteristic humbleness, Bill, who is white, explains
his initial trepidation over his painting studies of black
people. "I didn't want to offend black people and
make them think I know all about their world. It was
just easier to paint them. Where I lived I was around
black people all the time and so thats what I knew
But most of them have responded well and can even
see themselves in my paintings, so its cool with them."
Encouraged by the works success at her store,
Carol and her husband sponsored Bill'sfirst booth at
the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Needless
3. .e
to say, Mr. Hemmerling was introduced
to the world, and the world responded.
Carol claims Bill'swork set a Jazz Fest
record that first year, and equaled or
bettered it the following three years. The
Jazz and Heritage Foundation took
notice and commissioned Bill to
produce the official poster in 2005,
although he didn't know it at the time.
Ever protective of her clients
sensitivity, Carol says that, at the time,
had he known he was creating the Jazz
Fest poster, Bill probably would not have
completed the task. "He didn't know
how to take criticism then. It would have
devastated him if they had directly asked
him for changes, because he would have
thought it meant they didn't like the
painting," Carol laboriously explains. So
Billworked on the original art, which is
on a 4-by-8 sheet of recycled door skin,
making improvements to the theme
based on what he thought were Carols
suggestions. "She got me on that one, but
look how cool it came out," he says, with
his typical modest pride.
Although he says he was fortunate
enough to attend a Catholic school in
Chicago that allowed a daily art period,
Bill really has had no art instruction.
"We worked with coloring books and
crayons," he recalls. "I used to trace the
pictures and color them and turn them
in as my own. I think the sisters knew
they weren't mine, though."
Although he can now afford new
materials, Bill continues to paint with
leftover house paints and wood stains
onto found objects. "Its the hippie
thing," he says. Sheets from a New
Orleans hotel, table leaves, countless
doors, boards, and even furniture from
his house have all become Bill's
canvases. When his brother Bobby
impulsively cut the top off his car to
make a convertible, Bill painted on the
cast-off top. "I got two paintings out of
Y
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Bill HEMMERLING frcrnpage21
that one," he says, noting that he
painted on both sides of the former top.
Bill will tell you he doesn't
understand art, but he knows what he
likes. As his early success began to build
and the floodgates of his creativity burst
open, he frequently borrowed the art
encyclopedias from Ponchatoula's public
library and studied the works ("I really
just looked at the pictures") of other
artists. Armed with that exposure and
appreciation of some of the true masters,
he has created a series of 12 Sweet Olive
studies in his own interpretations of
selected masters from Van Gogh to
Matisse to Picasso. This series will be
auctioned off soon to benefit the
rebuilding of hurricane-damaged Xavier
University in New Orleans.
To meet Billis to instantly understand
his work. Always dressed in clothes
borrowed or second hand, he is
comfortable enough with himself to be
genuinely more concerned with the
comfort of others. His brother Bobby,who
was also a self-professed hippie, lived with
him after his retirement from retail and
shared in the joy of Billsnewfound
success. Sadly,Bobby recently passed away
from brain cancer. It is evident that Billis
happy that he could ease his brothers
suffering. "BeforeIhad an this money, I
couldn't have afforded to take care of my
brother. But from people buying my
paintings, Iwas able to buy him a hot tub
and pay for his care, and Iwas glad to do
it. Our sister lived in Arizona and she
died, too. There was nothing Icould do
about that then, but Iwas able to help
Bobby, and I'm glad." a
Bill's work is on display exclUSively at
the Louisiana Furniture and Art Gallery at
495 S.W Railroad Ave. in Ponchatoula. Call
386-0471, or visit www.billhemmerlingcom
Jor more inJormation.
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