William Stephens Shields, Jr., 1925 - 2010
He was born at Letterman Hospital in San Francisco's Presidio, to Eilleen Goggan and Lt. Col. William S. Shields, U.S. Army Medical Corps. With the death of his father in 1931, Bill moved to Texas, where he grew up. After two years at Central Catholic High school, Bill transferred to LaSalle Military Academy in New York in 1940 and later joined the Naval Air Corps at the age of 18. He served as an Aviation Cadet in the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. At the end of WWII, Bill returned to Texas.
At 21, Bill re-focused his energy and enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Art as an Illustration major. What followed was a whirlwind of success, great friendships and a sense of belonging he had never before experienced. Art was his calling and the art-world could not have been less prepared for the likes of Bill Shields. He took them by storm, first Houston, then San Francisco, followed by New York in the late 60's. For 35 years, Bill produced some of the country's best illustrations: fresh, playful, loose and innovative. His illustrations were coveted by such clients as Bantam Books, Time Life, MacMillan Publishing Co., and were awarded numerous gold medals by the Societies of Illustrators in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles, and the Houston Artists Guild.
Later, following inspirational trips to Mexico and France, Bill shifted his attention to the self-directed world of fine art. After years of sculpting, making assemblages, painting nudes and landscapes, he settled on the exploration of large abstract oil paintings. His paintings have been exhibited in galleries in San Francisco, Connecticut and New York.
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EDUCATION:
Chicago Academy Of Fine Art
San Antonio Art Institute
MAJOR FIELDS OF PROFESSIONAL ENDEAVOR:
Freelance graphic design and illustration
Instructor of painting and illustration
Landscape, figurative and abstract painting
ART RELATED EMPLOYMENT: (Professor of Art)
California College of Arts and Crafts, Oakland, CA
Academy of Art College, San Francisco, CA
San Francisco Art Institute
San Jose State University
AWARDS FOR ILLUSTRATION, Gold Medals:
New York Society of Illustrators
Los Angeles Society of Illustrators
San Francisco Society of Illustrators
Dallas-Fort Worth Art Director's Club
Houston Artist's Guild
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Feature articles in: American Artist, Communication Arts, Print, North Light.
Architectural design featured in: Better Homes and Gardens, American
Home, Sunset Magazine, Architectural Digest.
ILLUSTRATION CLIENTS:
Oil Companies:
Champlin Oil Company, Mobil Oil Company, Continental Oil Company, Standard Oil Company, Humble Oil and Refining Company.
Industrial:
Hughes Tool Company, General Electric, United States Steel, Phelps Dodge, Sylvania Television,
Texas Gulf Sulphur, Litton Industries, Houston Lighting and Power Company, International Business Machines.
Institutional:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration, United
States Air Force, United States Department of the Interior,
American Petroleum Institute, New York Stock Exchange, National Broadcasting
Company, American Iron and Steel Institute, CBS Broadcasting Company,
Vanguard Recording Company, Diners Club, Stanford Research Institute,
Victoria Station, Neiman Marcus, Bank of America, Automobile Club of Southern California,
Airlines:
TWA, British West Indies Airlines, Pan American Airlines,
Philippines Airlines, Japan Airlines,
Publications:
Holt Reinhardt and Winston Publishing Company, Doubleday, Macmillam Publishing Company, Bantam Books, Psychiatric Bulletin, Medical World News, Sports Illustrated, McCalls, Ladies Home Journal, Electronics, Travel and Leisures, CaliforniaLiving, Emergency Medicine.
STATEMENT:
The purpose of my painting and illustration is to combine knowledgeable draftsmanship,
abstraction or distortion with a unique sense of color, to achieve an individual style and personality.
My artistic strength does not lie in tightly rendered figures or objects and I am comfortable
with both serious and humorous subject matter
January 1, 1989
