By enlarge, the common thread in the work of Bill Colligen is an Eastern influence. It runs parallel with his spiritual journey and has become a big influence in his finished work. He has become a master of texture, bronzed patina surfaces on gourds. The result is a collection of gourd art exhibiting beauty, balance, and tranquility. Therefore, he offers us much to admire and some insight on finding our own gourd journey paath.
Bill Colligen was born with the passion of an artist.
Raised on a New Hampshire dairy farm, Bill Colligen spent his childhood attuned to the flow of country life on a dairy farm in New Hampshire. Later his family moved to Arizona, then Los Angles. eventually, Bill had many jobs that never served his dream of becoming an artist. Eventually, he became a Master Gardener and garden designer focusing his attention on Zen gardens where he learned the power of spirituality. In 1995, at age 50, he moved back to Arizona to continue his landscape career.
Ultimately, it was the art of Robert Rivera that brought Bill Colligen into the gourd world of artistic possibilities. Seeing the gourd as a natural form, a unique canvas for many media, he felt here was the perfect union of art and nature. Finally, when he was please with some of his pieces, he put them in a show in Sedona and made $1000 and was hooked. In 2000 he left his job and finally become an artist!
The art journey of Bill Colligen and his gourd art is inspired by the Tucson area
“These pieces represent a transformation from seed to ripened fruit completely dried on the vine and brought back to life as visually stunning works of art.”
Bill is a Tucson artist living in the rural area of town surrounded by desert animals and plants. Occasionally he enjoys hiking around old mining camps where he finds metal embellishments for his gourds. Eventually, these elements force the viewer to look at them in a completely new way.
First, look at Bill’s lifestyle and the environment in which he lives and then, et us take a closer look at how and why he does his gourd art.
Bill is a self-taught artist.
Once he discovered gourd art, he bought a bunch of gourds and a Detail Master wood burner and set to work. Finding saws too hard to control, he uses mostly diamond-cut burrs and cutting wheels. Presently, his favorite tools are an X-acto knife, files and lots of sandpaper!
In 1997 he joined the Artists’ Cooperative in Jerome, Arizona. Suddenly he found that people were buying them! Inspired, he returned home to learn this new art form!
One might call my inspiration “East meets West” with a strong design sense from Japanese woodcuts and Native American geometric designs”
The artwork of Bill Colligen is about persistence with details
Looking closely, it is apparent Bill’s forte is detailed; each piece is meticulously crafted with endless patience and skill. His process begins not with an elaborately planned layout, but with one line (or dot) and a spiritual idea or an Asian or Native American design.
In other words, his work flows from his need to give the gourd art an universal meaning and beauty we all can appreciate and pass on. Not just the intention of making a pretty decorated gourd.
“I found myself engraving and relief carving these hard-shelled beauties with intricate design work. More so, my pieces are created to be functional, as well with removable lids and decorative organic handles.”
Unexpected Embellishments
“A lot of the materials I use are what I call “found treasures.”
Upon a closer look, you can see that many of the handles for the Relics Collection were procured from abandoned mining equipment he found hiking in Colorado and Jerome.
So where are they on these pots? Can you find knobs, metal coffee pot handles, metal chair buttons, metal plates from gear boxes, or lion head door knockers?
Unusual Textures used by Bill Colligen
Carving and adding unexpected Textures
Having met and seen his work at many shows, I am still puzzled by his technique which he is not easily persuaded to talk about. Assumingly, the textures and small raised dots on the gourd are Apoxie Sculpt and the other embellishment we will see look like it was done as light carving.
The Anamalia Collection
In the light of his fasination with Eastern themes and designs, this collection allowed him to add his Eastern style to the world of animals.
By the way, it also gave him the chance to improve his technique in using carving, woodburning and the process of gold leaf.
On a personal note, as a dragon fan, I must share these gourds. Often, we miss his woodburning skills when we look at his work. The tall vase brought $1400!
Patina Surface is mastered by Bill Colligen
The Relic Collection
This series was inspired by a visit to an exhibit of the Chinese Ritual Bronzes on display at the Freer Gallery in Washington, DC. From around 1650 BC they were deposited in the tombs of royalty and the nobility.
“My patina inspiration comes from the Chinese Ritual Bronzes of the Shang and Zhou dynasties.”
“I was amazed by the centuries-old patinas time has created on the bronze. I began experimenting with applications of atomized metals to the gourd surface along with various oxidizers and dyes to try to capture the patinas I had viewed at the gallery.
After many failed attempts, I was inspired to continue my chemical experiments until the desired result was achieved.
What chemical experiment?
Here is the part I want to know more about. What liquid bronzing technique product will get this kind of result? I once heard him tell a customer he bought it from Michaels. It is my hope a reader might have tried a patina technique or has more knowledge of what he is referring to when he mentions using atomized metal powder with acrylic paint or what oxidizing agent will take the gourd dyes. Please share your comments below or address them on our Facebook group.
Bill Colligen is inspired by meditation and yoga in this gourd collection
Intention Vessels
This collection is a collaboration between Bill and Lance Thomas, who, like Bill, is a Yoga devotee. As a result, Bill states that Yoga has influenced his art and he has embraced Yoga as a way of life. Consequently, he sees the world around him constantly filled with more joy and bliss. As you see, Bill’s gourd art is taking on a new spiritual purpose. Notice that in the themes he chooses.
“I would love to get Intention Vessels into yoga studios, so more people have the opportunity to benefit from these works of art .”
These gourds reflect his philosophy of being on a journey of fulfillment.
The concept is that by setting an intention and placing it inside your chosen vessel you can use that image to help you stay focused on your dream journeys.
Accordingly. many of their titles reflect this intention.
The gourd art of Bill Colligen is also inspired by the Native American culture around him
The Geometric Collection
At first, Bill began with this theme to allow him to learn to do inlay and give him the opportunity to explore Native American design.
Additonally, this series consists of gourds that wear geometric indigenous patterns. Also notice, bits of turquoise and gold leaf embellish the finely carved bodies and the handles in a Zen-like manner.
Here again, you can see his advanced wood-burning skills and his ability to create elaborate designs.
The life journey of Bill Colligen is reflected in the gourd art he creates
Bill’s gourd art is the result of his spiritual path and his creative imagination. It gives his life purpose in an environment that brings peace and fulfillment in the Tucson desert.
Bill Colligen’s gourd art encourages us to invent what we are looking for
In conclusion, this gourd art embraces our admiration because of its time-consuming details and his unusual approach to creating textures and using embellishments from his unique environment.
Additionally, he has mastered gourd techniques all of us aspire to but, then created new ones to help him achieve the look he wanted for his imaginative ancient and cultural-specific vessels. Moving our art form forward.
Bill Colligen’s gourd art encourages us to seek out new themes related to our dream journies
Personally, I don’t often think of meditation or spiritual themes when I am planning my designs. Yet his idea of letting the gourd remind you and serve as a focus of meditation on personal goals is interesting. Additionally, I think we can take away from his work the challenge of finding new opportunities to see all kinds of objects and shapes as gourd embellishments. At this point, I certainly will look differently at the next scrap pile I see.
The work also encourages us to try to translate techniques from other media into our work. We can see his persistence and patience paid off big time.
Bill Colligen tells us, “NEVER GIVE UP!”
” Stay connected with your passions in life and you will be rewarded. Your possibilities are infinite. “Also, follow your feelings. Just go with it! Do not fear rejection or failure in anything that you do!
Find your niche – be inspired by others’ work and translate it into your own – don’t reproduce theirs.
To see all of his work, visit his website.
What patina product have you worked with?
Please, share your thoughts here in the comment box or share them with all the gourd artists on our Facebook Group Page.
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