"Bill has the incredible ability to capture the nostalgia of yesteryear - Kevin"
Bill Ambagtsheer
Bill was born in the Netherlands in 1944 and migrated with his parents to Australia in 1950. At school Bill was a good student, he was educated in South Australia and absolutely excelled in art. Never the less, upon leaving school, he decided to take employment in the building industry. His building experience gave him and enormous insight into Australian architecture and rekindled his desire to paint. Now that desire and his talent is reflected in his paintings of historical buildings, rural homesteads and typical Australian cottages around the country. Bill has been painting full time since 1972.
Since then Bill has traveled extensively throughout Australia with a particular interest in country and rural settings. He spent a number of years travelling the flinders ranges and the outback. He has lived in North East Victoria and Nowra, NSW to enable him to spend more time capturing the mountain and rural atmosphere of the eastern states. Of particular interest to him are the historical buildings and cottages of these areas as well as the mighty Murray River. He now resides in South Australia and paints in the inspiring picturesque countryside.
Bill has the incredible ability to capture the nostalgia of yesteryear in the subjects he paints from the old Country Cottage with its flower garden and Jacaranda tree, an old paddle steamer plying its trade from the wharves of Echuca to his magnificent Murray River vistas. Bill has chosen to pass on his skills and many students in class groups or individually have benefited from his teaching.
Bill has featured in many exhibitions, both one man and mixed, with his paintings drawing high praise. He has won many accolades and art prizes over the years and his paintings are featured in many collections throughout Australia and around the world. He has been a regular guest artist with "Kevin Hill's Top Ten Australian Artists" Exhibitions and he and his works have been included in the last three editions of Kevin Hill?s ?TOP TEN? Australian Artists books as a Guest Artist.