bill jackson • mississippi delta artist

A collection of : Fine Art, Photography and Graphic Design

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information about bill

Bill Jackson, a native of Drew, Mississippi, attended Mississippi Delta Community College and received further training at Ringling School of Art and Design. He later became a member of the United States Army Parachute Team, The Golden Knights, where he became a world champion. He continued refining his painting skills and even created several lithographs for the team and was also commissioned to do a painting for the Matthew I. Rierson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta). Specializing in egg tempera and acrylic, Bill paints with a remarkably realistic touch. He is also a talented photographer who enjoys using his original photographs as reference for his painting.

I want the world to see what I see -- the natural beauty and mystery of the Mississippi Delta, and its swamps, especially. The Delta is known as being flat and uninspiring, but I like painting the swamps and making this part of the world look cool. I want people to look at my paintings and say, “Wow, that’s the Delta?”

People and portraits aren’t what interest me. Nature, the outdoors, is what I’m into. I enjoy doing the reference work, i.e., getting in my kayak, roaming around the swamps, photographing them to paint later or just painting directly from life, right then and there, as it strikes me. Usually, I’ll just go pick a swamp, get in my kayak and go. I like the swamps -- the sun’s reflections on the water, and since green is my favorite color, the Delta fits for me right now. Light is so important and improving my use of light is one of my goals. I can make things look real, but now my challenge is to get the light right -- what I call the “wow effect.”

I want these Delta swamp paintings to be my legacy, so I strive to give them a classical, timeless look – I want them to look like they could have been painted in any era. In my own way, I want to help preserve nature through my art, so that years from now people will still see and appreciate the beauty of the Delta.

When I finish a painting, and look at it, it’s got to grow on me and make me want to keep looking at it, and that’s what I want other people to get. I want people to walk into a gallery and stop in front of my painting and stay there because my painting has grabbed them. That’s my test for whether or not a painting is good: Have I captured you? Have I told a story well enough? Sometimes, I just keep reworking a painting if I think the story isn’t good enough, or if it just isn’t capturing me like it should.

As a kid, I started drawing because I couldn’t, and it was a big challenge to prove to myself and to others that I could. And that’s how I still am: I want to always progress, always move forward and always learn something new.

Profile

•Experienced fine artist specializing in creating lush, realistic landscapes that give the viewer the feeling of familiarity. A skilled craftsman in creating handmade lamp-work beads and Art Clay Silver medallions used for making jewelry. Energetic art teacher establishing a fun learning environment making people aware of their creative abilities.
•Expert parachuting coach specializing in accuracy landing for competitions and demonstrations. Coaches basic and advanced skydiving skills, physical conditioning, confidence-building, and mental preparation for effective training and competition. Individual and team coaching resulting in gold medal winners at World Parachuting Championships.

Work Experience

Artist, Self-Employed (1997-present)
Parachuting Coach (1988-present)
Personal Assistant for Professional Pilot, Edgewater, FL (2000-2005)
Graphic Designer and Rigger, Parachute Laboratories, Inc., De Land, FL (1999-2000)
Graphic Designer, North American Aerodynamics, Inc., Roxboro, NC (1999)
Personal Assistant for Army Officer, Raeford, NC (1997-1999)
Staff Sergeant, United States Army, Honorable Discharge (1984-1997)
Team Member, United States Army Parachute Team, “The Golden Knights” (1986-1997)
Illustrator, graphic design and illustration to promote the team (1986-1997)
Parachute Rigger, maintenance on parachute equipment (1986-1997)
Competition Team Member, national and international competition (1986-1997)
Demonstration Team Member, public performances/airshows (1986)
Parachute Rigger, 82nd Airborne Division (1984-1986)
Assistant Art Director, Delta Design Group, Greenville, MS (1980-1984)

Teaching/Coaching

Private Art Lessons (2000-present)
Artist-in-Residence, Ruleville Central Elementary, Sponsored by Delta Arts Alliance (Jan-Feb 2010)
Coach, Qatar National Skydiving Team (2009)
Coach, Womens’ Competition Team, United States Army Parachute Team (2009)
Drawing Workshop, Delta Arts Alliance (2005)
Coach, Swiss National Skydiving Team (1998)
Coach, South African Military Parachute Team (1996)

Major Commissions

Private Commission, Painting, “Sandy Bayou,” Acrylic 25 x 80 (2008)
Book Cover, “The Adventures of Mercury Lane,” James L. Hayhurst, Parascension Press (2008)
Planters Bank and Trust, Painting, “Sunset At Grittman Brake,” Acrylic 18 x 28 (2007)
Private Commission, Painting, “Reflections On A Memory,” Acrylic 30 x 40 (2005)
Private Commission, Painting, “Massey Ranch,” Acrylic 40 x 48 (2004)
Book Cover, “Netblue,” James L. Hayhurst, Parascension Press (2003)
Matthew I. Rierson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta), Painting, “We’re Here To Get You Out,” Egg Tempera (1997)
Matthew I. Rierson Memorial Endowed Scholarship Fund (1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta), Painting, “Heroes Of Mogadishu,” Egg Tempera 22 x 30 (1996)

Technical abilities

Adobe Photoshop (expert)
Adobe Lightroom (expert)
Adobe Indesign (medium experience)
Adobe Illustrator (medium experience)
Adobe Dreamweaver (medium experience)
Cheetah 3D (medium experience)
Final Cut (some experience)
Fine Art Printing (expert)
Nikon D200 camera (expert)
Mac Computer (expert)
Art Clay Silver (Level 1 Instructor)
Master Parachutist, License D-8763; 12,500 parachute jumps
Army Master Fitness Trainer

Awards and Honors

•U.S. Army
Meritorious Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal (7th award),Army Achievement Medal (7th award), Army Good Conduct Medal (4th Award), National Defense Service Medal, Noncommissioned Officer’s Professional Development Ribbon (2), Army Service Ribbon, Army Superior Unit Award
Expert Marksmanship Qualification, Parachutist Badge, Parachute Rigger Badge, Czechoslovakian Army Parachutist Badge, Austrian Army Parachutist Badge, Royal Australian Army Parachutist Badge, Silver German Armed Forces Parachutist Badge, Italian Parachutist Badge
•World-class Competitor in Accuracy Landing and Freefall Style:
Gold Medal, Accuracy (all dead centers, 5 centimeter target) and Bronze Medal Overall CISM World Military Championships (1994)
Silver Medal Overall (combined style and accuracy) World Parachuting Championships (1992)
Gold Medal, Team Accuracy, Team Accuracy World Record (25 consecutive dead centers,
5 centimeter target) CISM Military World Championships (1987)
•U.S. National Champion in Parachuting:
Overall U.S. Champion (style and accuracy combined) (1992, 1995)
Five-time U.S. Style champion (1989-1990, 1992-1994)
U.S. Accuracy Champion (1995)
U.S. Parachute Team Member (1988-1995)
Golden Knight of the Year (1992)

Education

Mississippi Delta Community Collage, Associate in Art (1978-1980)
Ringling School of Art and Design (1980-1981)
Delta State University, Photoshop Techniques, 3 credit hours (2005)

Galleries

Brown’s Fine Art & Framing, Jackson, MS; Tel: 601.982.4844
Gallery Point Le Flore, Greenwood, MS; Tel: 662.455.0040

Publications

Barnaby, Laura, “How a world-champion skydiver ended up back home in Drew painting Delta swamps,” Delta Magazine, Cleveland, MS (March-April 2006)
Buchanan, Charlotte, “Bolie Beads Artisan,” The Enterprise-Tocsin, Indianola, MS (April 2006)

Volunteer Work

Indianola Little Theater, set design (2008-2009)
Drew United Methodist Church, Christmas Cantata director (2005-2008)
Society of St. Andrew, Gleaning America’s Fields (June 2006)

Other Interests Knitting, Sailing, SCUBA Diving, Cooking, Kayaking, Hiking, Soap-making

References

Please contact me for References.

View Sample Images:

Here are some samples of my paintings, photography, or graphic design. Please see the Portfolio for larger versions. Enjoy!

What People Are Saying About Bill's Work


“Bill’s paintings stop people in their tracks, captivated by the Mississippi river swamps and cypress trees. People think even the very large canvasses are photographs because Bill paints with such detail. He’s a young, emerging artist, with a lot of untapped talent in him. I feel sure he’ll be a force in Mississippi art for years to come.”
-- Joel Brown, co-owner of Brown’s Fine Art & Framing in Jackson, Miss.

“I fell in love with Bill’s cypress swamp paintings several years ago when we first moved to Mississippi. They capture the otherworldly, almost prehistoric character of Southeastern cypress swamps so perfectly. I particularly love the realism of these paintings and Bill’s use of color. The reflection on the water, the moss on the trees, the twigs poking through the surface; all is captured in exquisite detail. These paintings have great depth and contrast, creating moody, almost forbidding scenes. My husband and I are fortunate to own two of the cypress swamp series and they are prominently displayed in our home, where we enjoy them daily. “

“I met Bill when he was my skydiving coach. I had a neck injury and had to quit, but for 3 years I encouraged him to continue with his art, which led him back to Mississippi to do it full-time. I have his painting of two lion cubs hanging in my living room, and I commissioned a painting from Bill as a gift for a doctor friend. We were sad when he left. He’s a very humble and honest person and a great friend.”
-- Patti Johnson, an aerobatic pilot who encouraged Bill to develop his art in Florida.

“I had the luxury of being in and out of Bill's studio, where I was able to watch as he transformed a blank canvas into a rich landscape. Bill layers color to create a sense of depth and light. He takes a non-traditional point of view in his approach to depicting natural settings, which helps to immerse the viewer in that place. His works are meticulous and precise, and his attention to detail creates the lush, realistic landscapes that give me the feeling of familiarity. The more you look at one of Bill's works, the more you see -- the work is always revealing something new. I have one Jackson painting in my growing collection and hope to have another one of his works in the future.”
-- Bliss Massey, an artist who influenced and supported Bill as he developed his art in Florida.

Delta Magazine Article:

Click the magazine to read the article.