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Bill Alexander (painter)

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For other people named William Alexander, see William Alexander (disambiguation).

William Alexander
File:William Alexander.png
Alexander presenting The Magic of Oil Painting which ran from 1974 until 1982
Born(1915-04-02)2 April 1915
East Prussia, German Empire
Died24 January 1997(1997-01-24) (aged 81)
Port Alberni, British Columbia, Canada
NationalityGerman
Known for

William "Bill" Alexander (2 April 1915 – 24 January 1997) was a German painter, art instructor, and television host. He is best known as the creator and host of The Magic of Oil Painting (1974-1982) television programs that ran on PBS in the United States. The Art of Bill Alexander (1987–1994) was a series of books on wet-on-wet oil painting. He is also remembered as the teacher of celebrity and popular television painter Bob Ross.

Biography

Bill Alexander was born in East Prussia, but his family fled to Berlin during World War I. Apprenticed as a carriage maker, Alexander was drafted into the Wehrmacht during World War II. Captured by Allied troops, he made himself notable by painting portraits of Allied officers' wives and he soon made his way to the United States.[1]

Television career

Alexander is best known for the television program The Magic of Oil Painting (1974-1982), which ran on PBS in the United States. In The Art of Bill Alexander (1987–1994), Alexander teamed with other wet-on-wet painters, including Lowell Speers, Robert Warren, and Buck Paulson to produce a series of books.

TV host and prolific painter Bob Ross studied under Alexander, from whom he learned his wet-on-wet technique, a method of allowing oil applications to run together rather than waiting long periods for each layer to dry.[2] Ross dedicated the first episode of the second season of The Joy of Painting to Alexander, explaining that "Years ago, Bill taught me this fantastic technique, and I feel as though he gave me a precious gift, and I'd like to share that gift with you [the viewer]".[3]

See also

References

  1. ^ Alexander, William (1983). The Bill Alexander Story: An Autobiography. Dubuque, IA: Kendall Hunt Pub Co. p. 244. ISBN 0-8403-2990-3.
  2. ^ Bob Ross: The Joy of Painting; A Walk in the Woods on YouTube
  3. ^ "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross: Meadow Lake", Season 2, Episode 1, 1 November 1983 on YouTube
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