Bill Heynen
Bill Heynen
Bill Heynen is a certified Master Wood Sculptor. Engaging the viewer in the dynamic flow of the sculpture, encouraging continual interaction between the audience and the carving was his ultimate goal. Sculpture is the art of making shapes. Wood Sculpture is a subtractive art form. The artist works from the outside in, carving with tools to remove the wood until the desired form is released. “As I offer this portfolio, I realize that I feel a powerful urge to create something new and unique. It gives me great personal pleasure to produce a work of art that’s different in some way and cause it to come into existence. The physical interaction continues to give me great satisfaction and I lose all sense of time”.
Bill dedicated over 60 years of his life creating sculptures of Animals, Humans, Relief Carvings, Freeform, and Functional Sculptures from exotic and domestic hardwoods using hand tools. Following his BA & MA in Industrial Arts Education, he spent 33+ years in the Fine Arts Department teaching Creative Wood Sculpture to high school, college, and adult students. Bill was a sought after lecturer and teacher on the subject of Wood Sculpture. In a clearly stated and easily understood manner, he conveyed his creative approach and the techniques he utilized in creating his own sculptures. Articles and illustrations about him and his work have appeared in various publications. Public works include “Are We Not All Men & All Brothers” at California State University, Los Angeles. The book Dynamic Creations: Wood Sculptures by Bill Heynen conveys a lavish visual portfolio of his life’s work to date. At its best, each sculpture has to convey a visual power, an energy that produces a force between the work and the viewer. Enjoy the journey through this visual representation of Bill Heynen’s sculptures.