Rushing Water Lower Tahquamenon Falls

‘Gifts of Art’ Showcases Pastels of William Hosner:  Meticulous Brilliance

Posted: Jul 28, 2010 at 5:50 AM [Jul 28, 2010]

William Hosner’s University of Michigan Health System Gifts of Art exhibit “Before His Eyes: Pastel Paintings” finds him meticulously illustrating his passion for art one patient brushstroke at a time.

Such an observation might seem a slim compliment until this Traverse City artist’s work is seen, because pastels (like oils) cannot be reproduced mechanically. Irrespective of how dynamic his work may appear photographically or in a print, pastel is one of those arts that must be viewed for its full impact.

Indeed, this distinction between mechanical art and handcrafting is a key element of Hosner’s view of creativity itself. As he says in his Gifts of Art gallery statement, “A photograph freezes a moment in time, while over a painting session; everything is moving, changing—the artist as well as the subject.”

He therefore draws inspiration from an article in the 1990 Pastel Society of America Catalogue that says, “Pastel is pure pigment. It is the most permanent of all (pigments) when applied to conservation ground and properly framed; the infinite variety of colors (ranging) from soft and subtle to hard and brilliant. Pastel paintings reflect light like a prism.”

This is an altogether accurate description of Hosner’s work. The imagery he chooses to depict—ranging in this display from landscapes and cityscapes of differing scales to the most intimate of portraiture—can have a sharpened appearance or disarming warmth.

Each painting shares an en plein air vivacity that, in his words, “lifts” the spirit. For this too, is an accurate description of Hosner’s work.

His “Rushing Water, Tahquamenon Falls” captures the quicken tempo of this Upper Peninsula Michigan waterfall cascading from a key vantage point at winter where a strategic bank divides the lower Tahquamenon River. What makes the painting come to life is not merely the spectacular depiction of this river at the most fierce season of the year, but the sheer exuberance of Hosner’s imagination. The application of his pastels is ultimately as dramatic as the furious drive of the Tahquamenon River itself.

“La Parroquia Majesty,” on the other hand, finds Hosner reveling in the grandeur of architecture. This famed Mexican church—La Parroquia San Miguel de Allende in Guanajuato, Mexico—is showcased by Hosner as a magnificent facade. One of Mexico’s famed landmarks, and one of the new world’s supreme examples of neo-gothic colonial architecture, La Parroquia spectacularly expands the magnitude of Hosner’s composition—which in turn allows him to expand the scope of his creativity—depicting the church’s prominent rose-colored spires against a bright blue Mexican sky.

Ultimately, the exhibit’s highlight is two paintings set together that would rank as masterworks in any display.

“Her Face to the Wind” and “Dreaming” show us Hosner at his best. The paintings won the Grand Prix de Sennelier at the 2009 Salon International du Pastel in Giverny, France. The first time that international jury has ever voted unanimously; “Her Face to the Wind” and “Dreaming” are absolutely stunning art by any standard.

“Her Face to the Wind” features Hosner’s model in profile standing against a turbulent, rippling shoreline. Her white blouse anchors the heart of the composition, but Hosner cleverly crafts a blue and yellow floral counterbalance in her skirt that gives the painting a dynamic inner tension. And to insure that the contrast between light and dark doesn’t unhinge the painting’s palette, he emphasizes a red scarf tied around her waist to meld the painting as a striking whole.

Remarkably, “Dreaming” goes a bit further. The pensive quality of “Dreaming’s” youthful model goes well beyond formal aesthetics. For the painting’s strategy is roughly the same as “Her Face to the Wind” in that a strategically placed white blouse is set in opposition to a darker wardrobe (in this instance a bathing suit) as she, too, stands against a shoreline.

Rather, Hosner’s en plein air intimacy makes the painting memorable as his model’s preoccupied gaze—coupled with her loosely flowing hair—giving the painting a mystery that richly deepens its composition. “Dreaming” accomplishes a feat that few artworks attain: Hosner provides us with a glimpse of another person’s spirit by turning daydream into reverie.

“Before His Eyes: Pastel Paintings” will continue through Aug. 16 at the University of Michigan Health System Gifts of Art Gallery—University Hospital Main Corridor, Floor 2, 1500 East Medical Center Drive. Gallery hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., daily. For information, call 734-936-ARTS.

John Carlos Cantú is a free-lance writer who reviews art for AnnArbor.com.

Bill with the Cafe Society

Petoskey, MI August 6, 2010 – The Gala Preview Opening for Café Society: coffee house portraits took place Thursday evening at the Little Traverse History Museum. This premier event generated 70% of the funds needed for an annual scholarship to be awarded to a Northern Michigan coffee house worker. The Café Society Educational Fund is a scholarship Bill Hosner established at the Petoskey-Harbor Springs Area Community Foundation (www.petoskey-harborspringsfoundation.org). Once the fund reaches $10,000, a $1,000 scholarship will be awarded annually to a Northern Michigan barista in perpetuity.

The opening was a night of coffee, art, wine, and Northern Michigan celebrities including Doug Stanton, Paul Hramiec, and Harry Goldson. Guests enjoyed coffee from Roast & Toast (Petoskey), wine from the Traverse City Art & Wine Festival, pastries from Cuppa Joe (Traverse City) and Crema (Traverse City), and hors d’oeuvres courtesy of City Park Grill (Petoskey) and Three Pines Studio & Gallery (Cross Village). The highlight of the evening was the premier of Café Society: coffee house portraits, a collection of 30 original pastel portraits of Northern Michigan baristas by Bill Hosner.

Hosner, an internationally recognized pastel artist and avid coffee-lover, chose to paint baristas at his favorite coffee houses after years of getting to know them. Most portraits were completed within the coffee houses in one hour. While painting the baristas, Hosner listened to their hopes and dreams. Hearing their stories reminded him of his own youth, and he was compelled to do something to help fuel their drive and ambition. He wanted others to see their unique “coffee house culture” the way he did, and so the Café Society was born.

Café Society: coffee house portraits will continue to be displayed at the Little Traverse History Museum through at least September 10. The Museum is open Monday-Friday, 10am-4pm and Saturday 1pm-4pm. Admission is $4 per person over age 18, $1 for children age 5-17, and free to members and children under 5. The Little Traverse History Museum (www.petoskeymuseum.org) is located in the historic train depot on the Petoskey waterfront.

For more images from the Gala Preview Opening, click here.

Traverse City, MI June 24, 2009

The panel of judges unanimously awarded the prize based on the submitted body of work. Rarely do the judges unanimously present the top prize in any art show and for the Salon International du Pastel, this is the first time the judges voted unanimously. The judging panel included an international jury of recognized Master Pastelists from France, Poland, and the US. “It is an honor and privilege to receive this award,” said Hosner. “The love I have for the people in my life and the places I live is what I want people to see in my work, not me. I paint that which inspires me and to have my art recognized on an international level is very exciting.” Mr. Hosner has returned to Traverse City inspired to paint and create based on his extended stay in France.

Salon International Du Pastel is the annual show for Art du Pastel en France, the premier French pastel society. The show included works from artists in eight countries including Russia, Poland, and Spain. Sylvie Cabal, President of the Art du Pastel en France, commented, “It is a pleasure to welcome Bill to France and award him the Grand Prix de Sennelier. His passion for his art is reflected in these lovely paintings and we look forward to seeing his future artwork.”

Bill Hosner’s work is solely dedicated to the art of plein air painting. For Bill it all makes sense; “A photograph freezes a moment in time. While, over a painting session everything is moving, changing… the artist as well as the subject. During that experience the work evolves, is dynamic and can take on the energies of life. Painting en plein air lifts my spirit. And in so doing, it amplifies my recognition of a God given value and uniqueness in the world that surrounds me.” Bill’s art is available at Suttons Bay Galleries in Suttons Bay, Michigan, The Vault Gallery in Cambria, CA, and The Grapevine Gallery in Oklahoma City, OK.

Traverse City, MI August 1, 2009 – The Pastel Society of the West Coast recently hosted their annual exhibition, Pastels USA at the Triton Museum in Santa Clara, CA. Northern Michigan based, internationally recognized pastel artist, William Hosner, took home the Best of Show award for his recent work, “Española”. This is the third time Hosner has won Best of Show at Pastels USA and is the second top prize awarded to him this year. Hosner recently received the Grand Prix de Sennelier at the Salon International du Pastel in Giverny, France.

“I believe the Pastels USA Best of Show award really goes to the model in the painting, Olivia. It is she who is represented, not me. It is very exciting to share this award with Olivia,” said Hosner. The painting was executed over four sessions in March, 2009 along the ocean in Montaña de Oro State Park near San Luis Obispo, California. Hosner “first met Olivia at a workshop I hosted in California a year prior to painting “Española”. She was such a joy to work with, she was my first phone call when planning my winter painting trip to California. The weather was a bit of a challenge during that trip, but because Olivia is such a positive person, the painting is really a representation of her smiling spirit.”

Pastels USA is the annual international open exhibition hosted by the Pastel Society of the West Coast. There are 110 works representing 17 states and Canada all vying for 34 awards. “Bill’s work represents the best of the best. We are thrilled to have him as a member of PSWC and are excited to show his work at the Triton Museum as part of Pastels USA,” said Tina Moore, PSWC President and Pastels USA Awards Chair.

A Master Pastelist, Bill Hosner’s work is solely dedicated to the art of plein air painting. For Bill it all makes sense; “A photograph freezes a moment in time. While, over a painting session everything is moving, changing… the artist as well as the subject. During that experience the work evolves, is dynamic and can take on the energies of life. Painting en plein air lifts my spirit. And in so doing, it amplifies my recognition of a God given value and uniqueness in the world that surrounds me.” Bill’s art is available at Suttons Bay Galleries in Suttons Bay, Michigan, Vault Gallery in Cambria, CA, and The Grapevine Gallery in Oklahoma City, OK.

Blue Door Barn, exhibited at 99º Art Center in Taipei

Traverse City, MI April 29, 2010 – Artists are familiar with the call-for-entries process for an exhibition. Some exhibitions, however, are by invitation only. Following recent success, Northern Michigan pastel artist, Bill Hosner, was invited to show four paintings in two exhibitions in Taipei, Taiwan. Hosner was one of twelve US artists invited to participate in the 2010 International Pastel Artists Invitational Exhibition currently on display in Taipei. This exhibition is hosted by the National Taiwan Arts Education Center, a government organization charged with carrying out art education for the Taiwanese people.

Among a more exclusive group, Hosner also participated in the invitation-only International Master Pastelists Exhibition. Only ten international artists were invited to participate at this exhibition hosted by the private gallery, 99º Art Center. 99º Art Center has a positive reputation among galleries for its perpetual global search for emerging and established artists.

Bill with Director General Wu at the 2010 International Pastel Artists Invitational Exhibition

At both exhibitions, Hosner had the opportunity to interact with fellow artists, widely respected Master Artists including Mau-Kun Yim, and Asian dignitaries such as Joseph Tsu-Sheng Wu, Director General of the National Taiwan Arts Education. “I was honored to be invited to participate in shows such as these in Taipei. There were artists from several countries and there is always personal and artistic growth as a result of that. It is a privilege to share my work with a global audience and represent my country,” said Hosner. “The Taiwanese people were wonderful, gracious hosts and I was humbled and flattered to have the opportunity to meet and share ideas about art with Mau-Kun Yim, a recognized Master Painter for whom I have great respect.” Yim, now 68, won the top painting award in all of China at the age of 36.

A Master Pastelist, Bill Hosner’s work is solely dedicated to the art of plein air painting. For Bill it all makes sense; “A photograph freezes a moment in time. While, over a painting session everything is moving, changing… the artist as well as the subject. During that experience the work evolves, is dynamic and can take on the energies of life. Painting en plein air lifts my spirit. And in so doing, it amplifies my recognition of a God given value and uniqueness in the world that surrounds me.”

"Her Tender Thought"

Hosner Invited to 4 Shows; Wins Best of Show at 3

Traverse City, MI October 21, 2009 – 100% is a goal many strive for and few achieve. Northern Michigan-based pastel artist, Bill Hosner, has achieved a 100% show performance in 2009! He was invited to participate in four different juried art shows throughout the US and abroad. He won a prize at all four shows taking top honors at three, most recently receiving the top prize in New Orleans.

Her Tender Thought won a Degas Pastel Society Award of Exceptional Merit, the top prize at the society’s bi-annual Membership Exhibition held in New Orleans. 80 Entries were juried by Judge, David Lambert who said, “It was upon seeing the work in person that I was truly struck by the passion and dedication the artists held for this very challenging medium.” The caliber of work was so high, Mr. Lambert awarded two Awards of Exceptional Merit including that bestowed upon Mr. Hosner’s work.

“It’s been a wonderful summer; in fact a wonderful year,” said Hosner. “While I am able to bask in the light of this recognition, it is the painting itself that keeps me humble. However, the recognition gives me encouragement to continue to paint what inspires me, which is the people I meet and the places I live.”

The prizes awarded to Hosner this year are:

Record-Eagle/Jan-Michael Stump

William Hosner, of Traverse City, uses pastels to paint a house on Boardman Avenue. Hosner had been working for a couple of hours, but planned to break for the day to warm his hands. “When you first get out here they hurt like crazy,” he said. “But you know, after a while, they get used to it.”

the poetry of snow

In winter, the snow throws everything into patterns of light and dark masses. Both color and value ranges are generally narrowed, and the gray skies yield softer and more refined edges. The result can be a much quieter poetry than with other seasons.

…

Christmas at the Village is a painting of the building where I live. It’s an old state mental hospital (no jokes, please) that was converted into lofts, condominiums and shops. It was near Christmas and the whole place looked like a scene out of a Charles Dickens story. I couldn’t resist.

…

Christmas at the Village

Artist captures coffee house servers and their stories

When Bill Hosner first stopped in at the Roast & Toast coffee shop in Petoskey for his daily cup of brew, he was a little taken aback by the kids behind the counter. Earrings in nostrils, hair color not found in nature, and tattoos where you ought not to be looking. “As I looked at them, I thought what a lot of people might think. I rushed to judgment and thought these are a motley crew. And as I got to know them over the three years I lived in Petoskey, I realized they were just the way I was when I was that age. They were trying to find their way into life. Some were married, some had children, they were trying to build families. They were really great kids, people trying to fit into this world.”

Hosner, a renowned pastel painter, is known for his landscapes and romantic portraits of women strolling on the beach, reminiscent of Joaquin Sorrola, a 19th Century artist he admires. But he wanted these kids to also have their story told, so he decided to bring his easel into the coffee shop and paint spontaneous portraits of each “coffee house kid.” Hosner proposed his plan to the Roast & Toast coffee shop owner, and she thought it was a great idea. The workers themselves weren’t quite as enthusiastic, but signed on after they saw the first portraits.

“It was one of those things; as an artist, you have to make a painting, get it out of your system, and you can’t rest until you do,” Hosner said. These aren’t his usual paintings that take several days, yet they still succeed in capturing the essence and energy of the person. Hosner finished his 14 paintings of the Petoskey kids last summer. Now he has taken his easel to Another Cuppa Joe and Higher Grounds at Traverse City’s Building 50. Ultimately, he’d like to display the entire collection of 24 portraits at a local museum.

WANTING MORE
Hosner is relatively new to Traverse City, having lived in Petoskey for three years and then moving to here last summer. He quickly made the area his own. Many of his paintings are of local landmarks such as the Leland boathouse and cherry orchards. They seem to vibrate with color, which is Hosner’s strength, said Max Altekruse, Hosner’s artistic mentor.
“The most beautiful, the strongest thing in his work is that he somehow grasped the magic of color. How he has arrived at that, I don’t know. I didn’t convey it to him,” Altekruse said.
It’s not uncommon to see Hosner outside of a building—even in winter—with pastel chalk in hand. His practice of drawing in open air is called “en plein air.”

Hosner, slim and tall, dresses casually, although, immaculately in button-down shirts and jeans. He lives simply in a studio loft at Building 50, his walls covered with paintings that are too precious to him to sell. His frugal lifestyle is a far cry from his early years when he worked as one of the top freelance illustrators in Detroit, enjoying $200 martini lunches with advertising executives. His 18-year span as a commercial illustrator included work for Reader’s Digest, box covers for CBS Fox Video, and illustrated portraits of Kennedy Center honorees.

Hosner reviewed his artistic life in an essay, “Mondays with Max,” where he described his early training of illustration in the 1970s. He’d take a photo and project it directly onto the painting surface, trace it and render a drawing that would eventually be colored in with a variety of media.

MOVE TO FINE ART
In the late 1980s, illustrators began using computers for graphic arts, drawing on an electric pad as they watched a computer screen. Hosner felt that art was being lost in the process and set his sights on becoming a “fine artist,” using pastels as a medium. “I was about 42 years old, my sons were just about ready to head off to college. I was married at the time to a person who was financially independent. I didn’t need to support her, and we decided I could take this chance. I decided to become an easel painter, a fine artist. I knew two things would occur. One, was that I couldn’t have one foot in, one foot out. In the advertising world, it’s out of sight, out of mind. They had deadlines, and if you couldn’t meet them, they’d find someone else who could. “I also knew it was going to take a long time. It’s a career change. That’s exactly what happened. It’s been almost 18 years.”

Hosner began with an intense investigation of technique and teachers. He kept bumping up against the name of Frank Reilly, a premier illustrator and one of the most highly regarded teachers in Post War World II. He remembered that Max Altekruse, a coworker at the McNamara studio in the 1970s, had studied with Reilly and that his illustrations possessed an artistic quality clearly above the photographic look of other illustrators.
Hosner learned that Altekruse had retired in Birmingham. He visited his home and shyly drew out a couple of paintings to show his former coworker what he could do. Altekruse, who is by nature thrifty with words, said, “I see.”

LEARNING CURVE
He met with Altekruse, thereafter, each Monday, soaking up his critiques, advice, and praise, which in the early years, was sparse. “I became, more or less, a tutor for awhile to express to him what I had learned under Frank Reilly in New York, which was very valuable for me,” Altekruse said in a phone interview. “Bill has a very strong instinct, an artistic instinct, there’s no question about it. All he needed was what he loosely termed his formal training in the business, learning to draw and to paint, and to put it together compositionally.

For three years, Hosner attended workshops with master painters and then he went about the business of “practice, practice, practice.” Altekruse said his student has done well, both artistically, as well as his ability to promote his work. “A lot of his work is right from nature. The landscape, and in some ways, the romantic content maybe arises from his depiction from old buildings and barns. His composition is very, very good. His sense of design and color are excellent.”

Hosner has since garnered a long list of major awards, including the Best Pastel Award at the 2005 Carmel Plein Air Art Competition. Most recently, he had two paintings accepted to the prestigious Art du Pastel en France in Giverny, France. As Hosner’s talent has evolved, so has his prices.

During the course of his career change, however, Hosner suffered the personal pain of two divorces. Yet his pieces reflect none of the bitterness, capturing beauty even when it’s not obvious—such as an old white farmhouse with a phone line snaking up the corner.
Hosner is remarkably friendly, stopping often to chat with a friend. If you let him, he’ll talk at length about his technique and what he’s learned from Sorrola and John Singer Sargent, another artist with whom he’s compared.

Art and life are intertwined, he said. His favorite quote is a line from an Emily Dickinson poem: “That it will never come again is what makes life so beautiful.”

GIVING TIME
Before he flies off to the French exhibit in June, Hosner is tying up his portraits with the coffee house kids. “So far I’ve done Rachel, Kim and Julia. And this week I’m going to do Alisha. I’m going to try to get Kyle, and then I’ll move over to Higher Grounds,” Hosner said. Julia Hemp, who works at Cuppa Joe, said her portrait is more serious than she normally looks because it’s impossible to hold a smile for very long. “I liked what he did,” she said. “He really captured my eyes.”

For the “coffee house kids” exhibit, Hosner wants the kids to talk on tape about their lives, but he needs someone with the technical ability to help make the audio interactive with gallery visitors. His vision is to place the painted pictures against coffee bags. And, of course, serve coffee to the show’s visitors. He’ll devote half the proceeds of an art exhibit or art sales to a college fund or art scholarship for the coffee house kids.

“I’ve always wondered how I can take my talent and give back and make a contribution to the community and the country and the world I live in,” he said. “I’m not tremendously wealthy in terms of money, but I can give my time.”

You can see Bill Hosner’s work at Suttons Bay Galleries or on his website at williamhosner.com.

Bill working in Morro Bay, CA, Fall '08

TRAVERSE CITY — By all appearances, the 15-year-old girl was strong, beautiful and full of life. After painting her portrait, Bill Hosner turned his easel around for her to see the creation.

The girl smiled and said, “I always wanted to be model, and now I am,” Hosner remembered.

It was a bittersweet moment for the Traverse City artist, who was at the Children’s Hospital of Michigan in Detroit sketching portraits of youth fighting terminal illnesses. His model, seemingly healthy-looking, was there after a rough episode several days prior due to the life-threatening disease cystic fibrosis.

Hosner volunteers to capture patients on canvas and gives the portraits to the children and their families at no cost. It’s only a small part of his career, and only in recent years has the landscape and figure painter made monthly trips downstate to create portraits using conte crayons with white chalk highlights.

But it’s part of his work Hosner, 58, wouldn’t give up.

Credit: Douglas Tesner/Record-Eagle

“Without a doubt, it’s by far been the most rewarding experience of my talent,” he said of the more than 200 patient portraits he’s completed over the past five years. “All for the grand total of a child’s smile — it’s worth more than 10 million dollars. The goal is to let a child who is suffering know they have value in their suffering. You do capture a moment. You can’t help but read the mood of the person you are drawing.

“It’s a connection between you and the person you are drawing.”

The hospital is grateful to Hosner, who has spent more than 400 hours with patients and their families, said Erin O’Mara, manager of volunteer services. O’Mara said children are excited to have their portrait painted.

“He has a very calming way about him. He brings a peacefulness to the room,” she said. “The families treasure these works. It’s an unbelievable gift.”

Hosner, father of two grown sons who lives and works in the Village at Grand Traverse Commons, moved to Traverse City from Petoskey this summer. When he’s not volunteering downstate, he’s at his easel outside the Mercato or a spot overlooking another northern Michigan landscape, some scenes which may include a person.

His work, which he says is influenced in part by the great Russian impressionists, is dedicated to the art of what’s called “Plein Air painting.”

Working entirely from what’s in front of him in real life — not a photograph — Hosner’s pastel impressionistic paintings are created outside, even in winter.

“I try to paint what I am inspired to paint and present that to the public as an artistic statement,” said Hosner, who has painted cathedrals in Mexico, barns in Nebraska and Lake Michigan beaches.

A recent figure painting was the result of Hosner meeting a construction worker on the Village grounds.

“I paint people I meet in life, and she is one of the young women who works for the contractor here,” he said. “She was wearing overalls, a kerchief in her hair, paint all over herself. I thought, I want to paint this person.”

Other recent works include a backside view of one of the historic Village buildings. These paintings will end up going to Suttons Bay Galleries, one of three galleries in the country to carry Hosner’s work.

“He’s absolutely the finest American pastel painter living today, without a doubt,” said Piper Goldson, owner of Suttons Bay Galleries, 102 E. Jefferson St. “He paints Plein Air and that alone gives it absolute energy. His work is so diverse — landscape, seascape, still life and figure.”

Hosner is able to take something seen everyday and reveal an angle that others may not see otherwise, Goldson said.

“Everyone who comes in here is really captivated by them because they really are stunning,” she said. “He’s subtle, but there’s an energy there that is very compelling. They really capture your attention.”

Hosner, who rededicated himself to fine art painting at the peak of a highly successful career in commercial art, is relishing the time he has to hone his Plein Air painting capabilities. He travels throughout the United States to teach classes as well as makes trips abroad to paint. He sometimes is commissioned to do work, though much of what he does stems from his own inspirations.

“There’s a much deeper meaning to painting that’s so much further behind the image you’re seeing,” he said. “It’s getting to the thing in life you feel love toward or that inspires you.”