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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 Hemmerlingby Jamey Landry THEY USED TO SAY,"LIFE IS BETTERAT 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's first booth at

the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Needless

.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

Yit

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continuedonpage170

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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.

Tomeet Billis to instantly understand

hiswork. 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 Bill is

happy that he could ease his brothers

suffering. "BeforeIhad an thismoney, 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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