FINE ART BY BOB BICKERS

59. Welcoming the New Year

2012-01-01T23:49:00.003-05:00

First Taste of Snow; photograph; 2011

The New Year promises to be a great one. I will have a one-man show at the Gallery Space (in the Monroeville, PA public library) the month of December, 2012. Right now I plan to exhibit local landscapes which I will be painting the rest of this year. You can track my progress on my website, but I hope to produce at least one new painting a week this year. We'll see how that goes. I will continue to do photography too and post my images here. We had some light snow the week before Halloween in 2011, although the next two months have been pretty snow-free. It won't stay that way and I hope to be able to create many new snow paintings and photos. First Taste of Snow was taken in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County.

58. Ten Years and Still Making Every Day Count

2011-12-19T23:51:00.003-05:00

This is a special day for me, for it marks the tenth anniversary of the day I died.

Unconscious on a metal table, my brain was drugged and chilled to 93 degrees. My heart was stopped and machines breathed for me and circulated my blood. I spent many long hours in this condition while arteries and veins were cut from my chest, arm and legs and then sewn to the blood vessels of my heart.

I had six by-passes at age 45.

It took a while to recover from this operation and it did indeed change my life on many levels. I will discuss what I went through in more detail later. For now, however, I consider the last ten years a gift and I learned to appreciate every single day for its own sake, to stop planning so much for the future, or dwell too much in the past. The past can't be changed and the future is always uncertain. But we all exist in the present, and I needed to live in the present. And so I did.

And life has been good to me.

My children have grown and made me very proud of them. A lot has happened in the last ten years and I hope to be around for many years to come. Wealth and success can come and go, but it was the love and support of my family that pulled me through a most difficult Christmas. I was too ill and weak to set up the Christmas tree that year (the only year I can remember not doing so), but the love and togetherness of our family was so strong, we hardly even noticed.

The above photo was taken on Christmas Day in 2001 while I was recovering from my surgery. From left to right: Me, Alice Davis (my mother), Alyssa Bickers (my daughter), Tom Davis (my step-father); and Jessica Landis (my step-daughter). Photo by Diane Landis Bickers (my wife).

57. Duff Park Sunset, 20 x 24, oil on canvas, 2011

2011-11-30T12:12:00.000-05:00

Duff Park Sunset, 20 x 24, oil on canvas, 2011

Last winter I took a hike in Duff Park in Murrysville, PA, soon after a snowstorm. I could barely believe my eyes when I saw how beautiful and serene the park appeared, especially with a small stream running through the landscape. I explored the area all afternoon until dark, filling my soul and my camera with wonderful images. This painting is based on such an image and it demonstrates my new appreciation for snowy winter scenes. I can hardly wait for it to snow here again!

This is one of two paintings I now have on exhibit at the East Suburban Artists League's Annual Art Show at Penn State New Kensington (3550 Seventh Street Road (Highway 780), New Kensington, PA 15068). The show runs from December 2, 2011 through January 2, 2012. The reception (and ESAL's holiday party) is Friday, December 2nd 7-9pm. The public is invited! I hope to see you there!

56. Electric Sun, photograph, 2011

2011-11-25T13:43:00.001-05:00

Electric Sun, photograph, 2011

It took almost three weeks to recover from a case of the flu and unfortunately, most of November has been a blur to me. I did manage to take this photograph the day before Halloween when we had just received a bit of snow a day or two before. Click on the image to enlarge.

I attended the opening reception of the 16th Annual Regional Juried Art Exhibition sponsored by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, Inc., at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley on November 19th. While I did not win any awards this time, I was grateful to find that the curators of the museum liked my painting (see previous post) enough that they chose to hang it on the wall behind the front reception desk, making it the first painting a visitor sees when visiting the museum. There is a great deal of fine artwork on display and it would make a trip to Ligonier very worthwhile. The exhibit runs November 18, 2011 through February 12, 2012.

55. Leaves Upon the Waters, 20 x 24, oil on canvas

2011-10-02T22:16:00.003-04:00

Leaves Upon the Waters, 20 x 24, oil on canvas, 2011

This is a view of the Conemaugh River near the Conemaugh Dam in Indiana County, Pennsylvania. This painting has been juried into the 16th Annual Regional Juried Art Exhibition sponsored by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts, Inc., at the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley. Reception is November 19, 2011, 6-8PM. The public is invited. The exhibit runs November 18, 2011 through February 12, 2012. Click on the image to enlarge.

54. A Complete Revision of My Website

2011-09-18T17:58:00.005-04:00

The last time I did a major revision of my website, I was excited about using some Adobe flash software that made viewing of my artwork easier and more appealing. You could pick images from a table of small icons or sit back and watch a slideshow of my artwork slide by. Many artists today use some sort of flash software to streamline the viewing process as I did. Of course, it wouldn't last.

About a year ago when the I-Pad was released, I was troubled that Apple was refusing to work with Adobe to make sure their software were compatible. When I finally looked at my website with an I-Pad, I found that the images either didn't appear at all or were thrown into some sort of "retro" mode where they were all the wrong sizes or jumbled up. In other words, my website was a total mess. Now that the I-Pad 2 has been released, Apple and Adobe, like a couple of misbehaving little brats, are still not talking to each other. Unfortunately (sigh), it is clear to me that the use of I-Pads and similar instruments is only growing and may dominate the way most people view information on the internet, along with their smart phones. It was time for me to make some adjustments.

I therefore revised my website to make it more friendly to all types of operating systems and to especially make it easier to use on a tablet-style computer (I hope). Please go ahead and check my website out for yourself. I think you will like it.

There are exciting times just ahead. I am working on a number of new paintings and will have them exhibited in various shows over the next year. I will be updating and adding more paintings and more photographs to my website on a regular basis and you can expect to see more frequent postings here as well. It is a good and exciting time to be alive!

53. Deep Woods Respite, 18 x 24, oil on canvas

2011-09-12T12:09:00.002-04:00

Deep Woods Respite, 18 x 24, oil on canvas, 2011

This is the latest of a series of landscape paintings I am preparing that focus on various aspects of the seasons, especially as I see them here in Pennsylvania. Click on the image to enlarge.

52. Michaels Incorporates Two of My Paintings in It's Advertisement Campaign for Fine Art Classes

2011-06-27T13:30:00.006-04:00

Although my tenure as a Certified Grumbacher Fine Art Instructor at Michaels Arts and Crafts Store only lasted six months last year, I was surprised recently to find that Michaels had elected to use two of my paintings in it's website promoting the acrylic fine art classes I had taught. If you look up art supplies at the Michaels website and then click on "Fine Art Classes at Michaels" you will see the advertisement at left. Moving your cursor over the "Floral 1" bar or the "Seascape 1" bar shows additional images of these paintings. The seascape and the floral paintings are, of course, mine and are shown below. I am quite pleased and honored to have my artwork showcased this way and I sincerely wish Michaels luck in the promotion of their acrylic fine art classes. More about my association with Michaels and Grumbacher and the artwork created there can be found at my Post No. 46. Click on any of the images to enlarge.

51. Giuseppe Moretti's Ladies of Highland Park, Pittsburgh, Digital Photograph Diptych, 2011

2011-06-01T17:53:00.007-04:00

Giuseppe Moretti's Ladies of Highland Park, Pittsburgh, Digital Photograph Diptych, 2011

Last year I visited Highland Park in Pittsburgh and was greatly impressed with the enormous columns that stood on either side of the entrance to this old and stately park. Providing light on either side of the street were these two magnificent bronze statues created by the sculptor Giuseppe Moretti late in the 19th century. I was struck by the greenish-blue patina on the statues and decided to print my own digital interpretation of these works of art. Note that this diptych and the oil painting of the Conemaugh Bridge (in the post below) were both juried into the "History Through Art" Exhibition being held by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts and the Greensburg Art Club at the Rowe Gallery (at 230 Todd School Road, Greensburg, PA 15601) and will be on exhibit July 15, 2011 through August 26, 2011. Opening Reception is on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The Rowe Gallery is open Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-4:00pm; Wednesday Evening 7:00pm-9:00pm; Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm and closed Sundays & Saturdays. Click on the image to enlarge.

50. Conemaugh Bridge No. 4 on the West Penn Trail, 18 x 36, oil on canvas, 2011

2011-05-18T13:12:00.008-04:00

Conemaugh Bridge No. 4 on the West Penn Trail; 18 x 36; oil on canvas; 2011

A short distance east of Murrysville, Pennsylvania, where I live, is a section of the West Penn Trail which crosses back and forth across the Conemaugh River along a series of old stone railroad bridges built over a century ago. Stained yellow and red by the iron deposits washing out of the many flooded mines upstream, the bridges have always been a source of fascination for me. I decided it was about time I went ahead and painted one of these stately wonders of another era.

This painting and the digital photograph in the next post above were both juried into the "History Through Art" Exhibition being held by the Southwestern Pennsylvania Council for the Arts and the Greensburg Art Club at the Rowe Gallery (at 230 Todd School Road, Greensburg, PA 15601) and will be on exhibit July 15, 2011 through August 26, 2011. Opening Reception is on Saturday, July 16, 2011. The Rowe Gallery is open Tuesday-Friday 10:00am-4:00pm; Wednesday Evening 7:00pm-9:00pm; Saturday 1:00pm-4:00pm and closed Sundays & Saturdays. Click on the image to enlarge.

Update: This painting won Third Place in oils/acrylics at the 2011 Murrysville Women's Club Annual Art Show held at the Murrysville Municipal Building on October 8-9, 2011.

49. Bethany Blair Bickers Receives (Another) College Degree

2011-05-17T17:12:00.003-04:00

Bob and Beth Bickers

I am proud to announce that my oldest daughter, Beth (posing with me at left), received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Memphis on May 8, 2011. Her major was Criminal Justice and at this time she is seeking a job in that field. Beth had already earned an Associate Degree in Graphic Arts in 2007.

I know that Beth has worked very hard to get this far and I wish her a very rewarding (and safe) career in law enforcement. She is only the third generation from my side of the family to be college-educated, and I hope that is a chain that will continue into the future. Beth is a fine young woman with a bright future and exciting times ahead of her.

Speaking of bright, Beth's younger brother, Brad, just completed his first year of college on the Dean's List. That's the sort of thing that makes me proud. Keep up the good work, Brad.

48. Serving as Juror for The Gallery Space, Monroeville, PA

2011-04-21T00:28:00.004-04:00

The Gallery Space, Monroeville, PA Public Library

The public library of Monroeville, Pennsylvania, next to the Gateway High School, is host to The Gallery Space, a special place to showcase artwork by established and aspiring artists from throughout the Western Pennsylvania area. The gallery is in a lovely setting with a natural stone wall at its focal point and two additional walls to showcase art. In addition, an exhibiting artist has room for more art behind the front desk and in the snack cafe next to it. The image above gives a 180 degree view of the main gallery. The present curator, Sally Wightkin, and a dedicated group of helpers from the gallery's sponsors, The Friends of the Monroeville Public Library, work tirelessly setting up and maintaining the gallery and its many exhibits (a new one every month!) throughout the year --and all as volunteers. Now that's a labor of love. Commissions from the sale of artwork at these shows benefit the public library in Monroeville.

Exhibitions at The Gallery Space have been a tradition since 1965. When I had my first show there in 2001, only six artists would be selected to exhibit each year with each show lasting two months at a time. By the time I exhibited there again in 2007, exhibits were limited to one month. While I wasn't pleased by the shorter shows, the fact is that the shorter shows made this forum accessible to twice as many artists and, as I later discovered myself, was quite necessary. In 2008, I was honored when Sally Wightkin asked me to assist her and help select, from the many submissions, those artists (and artist organizations) that would be selected for exhibitions at The Gallery Space in the next two years. The number and quality of submissions were so overwhelming, we finally decided to extend the period we were judging another year. It was a very enlightening experience for me.

Another call for artists has been extended by The Gallery Space in which those wishing to exhibit are asked to bring three examples of their artwork (or a CD of 6-10 examples of their artwork) to the Monroeville Library on Friday, April 29, 2011. Art groups can bring 6-10 original works or a CD of 12-20 images. Again, I have been asked by Sally to assist in the selection process.

I have been doing serious art for over 30 years and fine photography for even longer. I've had three shows at The Gallery Space the last 10 years and participated three other times in exhibits there by the East Suburban Artists League. I have had numerous solo and group exhibitions and my work has appeared in galleries, museums, major corporate headquarters, newspapers and the cover of magazines. I have won plenty of awards, have taught oil and acrylic art classes for major national corporations and I have served as a judge and juror for a number of local organizations and major art exhibitions. While there are plenty of artists and art instructors who have done more than I and have better credentials, my point is that I have had some experience in a lot of things, and am independent and confident enough not to be overly worried about the politics in art (and, yes, every human endeavor involves politics), and I hope, at 55 years of age, I've learned to learned enough to keep all of this in perspective. Anyway, I've been told I am pretty fair and level-headed and I will do my best to remain objective and judicious. I have to think too that it helps being an attorney where I often and regularly serve as an arbitrator for the Court of Common Pleas in Pittsburgh.

Be sure to get your submissions in for consideration! I will probably write something afterwards about the whole process. And thanks again, Sally, for this opportunity to serve again.

47. Painter in the Park, 12 x 12, digital photograph, 2011

2011-03-05T22:56:00.001-05:00

This image was based on a photograph I took of an artist painting flowers in a park in Boston the summer of 2007. Click on the image to enlarge.

46. Acrylic Fine Art Class I Taught at Michaels as a Certified Grumbacher Fine Art Instructor in 2010

2011-03-01T14:20:00.046-05:00

I am not teaching a fine art class at this time, but I did teach an acrylic fine art class as a Certified Grumbacher Art Instructor at various Michaels stores at several locations in Tarentum, Monroeville and Greensburg, Pennsylvania in 2010. It was a pleasure being able to teach art classes once again and I look forward to doing something similar at some point in the future. The acrylic fine art program will go on and Grumbacher is presently looking for my replacement at these Michaels stores, so be sure to check with them to see if Acrylic Fine Art Classes are being offered at these locations. Class schedules at Michaels stores can also be found at: http://www.grumbacherart.com/michaels/workshops/index.html

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A related news item on Michael's use of some of my paintings can be found at Post 52.

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The following are some of the materials and paintings used in the acrylic art classes at Michaels which may assist you in exploring acrylic painting. While these may not represent some of my more finished work, they are examples of what can be done with acrylics in a two-hour class.

LANDSCAPE

The image at bottom is the reference photo given to me by Grumbacher for the landscape painting, and the other images are paintings I taught. As the classes moved into autumn and winter, we shifted the landscapes to reflect the outside conditions. The Landscape Lesson Plan can be found here (warning: this is a large file). Here is the class syllabus.

FLORAL
The flowers on the left are paintings and the reference photos are show on the right. The first reference photo at top and the one at bottom center were given to me by Grumbacher. The other two photos are mine. Click here for the White Daisies Floral Lesson Plan and here for an additional Floral Lesson Plan (which I never had the opportunity to teach). The Floral Class Syllabus can be found here.

SEASCAPES
Below are the Seascape paintings I taught at Michaels and at bottom the reference photo I was given. Click here for the Seascape Lesson Plan and click here for the class syllabus.

STILL LIFE
Below are the still lifes I taught with my reference photos at the right. At bottom is another reference photo which you are free to use to practice painting. The Still Life Lesson Plan is here and the Syllabus is here.

(Right) My final acrylic art class as a Grumbacher Instructor at Michaels on 12/18/2010. Pictured with me are two of my most loyal regular students, Wei-Duan Liao at left and Judy Zeman at right. Sincere thanks to all of my students. It was great fun while it lasted.

45. Duff Park in Winter, 12 x 16, digital photograph, 2011

2011-02-25T13:42:00.002-05:00

This was taken in Duff Park in Murrysville, Pennsylvania close to where I live. The original photo lacked any color and while it looked just fine as a standard black and white image, adding a sepia tone to the picture, I think, definitely makes this photograph stand out. And yes, it was very cold when I took this. Click on the image to enlarge.

44. Winter Fences, digital photograph, 2011

2011-02-22T12:50:00.004-05:00

One of the things I like about living in Murrysville, PA, is the fact that I am never very far from the rural countryside. This view is not far from my house. I digitally altered my photograph in order to make it resemble an impressionist painting. Click on the image to enlarge.

43. Sun and Shadow, 9 x 12, digital photograph, 2011

2011-02-21T22:56:00.005-05:00

Here's another photo I took from the highway in Ohio which I managed to salvage. Besides the tree catching my eye, I really liked the contrasts in the sunlight and shadows on the winter grass. Click onthe image to enlarge.

42. Branches, 8 x 10, photograph, 2011

2011-02-20T19:11:00.004-05:00

This lonely tree was photographed from the highway while I was traveling through Ohio last month. Click on the image to enlarge.

41. Acadian Sailing, 12 x 16, digital photograph, 2011

2011-01-10T01:12:00.002-05:00

This is my interpretation of a scene taken in the waters off of Acadia National Park in Maine the summer of 2009. I have many more images from Acadia that will be a source of inspiration for me for many years to come. Click on the image to enlarge.

40. Cody's Catch, 18 x 24, oil on canvas, 2010

2011-01-03T12:43:00.001-05:00

I begin this New Year by wrapping up a bit of business from 2010. At right is an oil painting commissioned last year, Cody's Catch, 18 x 24, oil on canvas, 2010. The person who commissioned the painting had accompanied Cody and his father on a fishing trip to a remote area of Canada a few years ago. While there, Cody had caught a huge Northern Pike with an ordinary fishing line. He struggled with it for a long time before bringing the exhausted fish to his kayak. Unfortunately, the fish got away before any pictures could be taken, thus the desire to forever re-create the moment in oil. I used photos of Cody taken on the trip, as well as pictures of the lake and I pulled reference photos off the internet ont he fish and the type of kayak Cody was using. I then had my daughter pose for Cody's body holding a fishing rod and kneeling in a sled. Eventually it all came together for a complete painting. I have a page on my website showing the steps I took in creating this painting here.

I had a good time working on this painting and I hope to get more commissioins this year. Meanwhile, I plan to post each new painting I do right here on this blog. Most will be a bit smaller than this one, and each will be for sale.

A couple of years ago I tried to post a new painting every week, but stumbled a few months in as I got involved in other matters. I am going to try to do the same again, although I may need to post one of my photographs once in a while. I am hoping 2011 will be the start of a wonderful new decade of art! As always, click on the image to enlarge.

39. Yellow Flowers on the Edge of Darkness, 18 x 12, digital photograph

2010-12-17T13:20:00.003-05:00

I read that the original Tron movie was excluded from consideration for an Academy Award for animation back in 1983 because any use of computers was considered by the Academy back then as "cheating", even though most of the movie itself was animated by hand. Now we view computer-generated images (CGI) as an art form all it own, one that incorporates the skills and talents of hundreds of individuals during a major production.

Given that apparent shift in people's attitudes, I present you with the image at left. Is it a painting? Is it a photograph of a painting? Is it "true" photography?

It is a computer-altered digital photograph made to resemble a painting. Is it art? It did take some effort to set up, photograph, and work out my vision on the computer. It is not an accident or a random creation, like throwing paint at a canvas, but is the end result of an idea or image that first existed in my head and with some effort, was made into a form that could be seen and shared with everyone. From that perspective, it clearly is art and I am the artist.

Still, if I were take a brush and painted the exact image by hand instead of using a camera and computer, how would you feel about it? It is obvious that while we may admire the technical and perhaps even the artistic skills of photographers, and to a lesser extent, computer geeks, we still have a prejudice for the painter who uses his own two hands to create a beautiful image.

Perhaps it has something to do with the miracle of a person transforming blobs of mere pigment into something that can not only be recognizable, but even move the human heart. In that sense, and as the late television artist Bill Alexander often said, being an artist is probably as close to being like God as mortals can ever come. Maybe. And if that is true, then maybe all that comes with being an artist, the ability to acutely observe, see, appreciate and express all the beauty (and the ugliness) in the universe around us, maybe that is a unique and special quality in God that we all should seek in ourselves. Click on the image to enlarge.

38. Snow Trails, 12 x 18, digital photograph

2010-12-16T17:40:00.002-05:00

This was the inspiration for the painting of the same name posted below. Images like this make me want to go outside and paint all winter, or at least take my photos and run back to the studio to paint in warmth and comfort. Taken in Export, Pennslyvania last January. Click on image to enlarge.

37. Fallow Field, 12 x 18, digital photograph

2010-12-16T17:27:00.006-05:00

Like the photograph in the previous post, this too is a digital photograph altered to resemble an oil painting. This was taken in a field in Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. I was originally drawn to the tangle of limbs and roots in the tree in the foreground, but later discovered the fascinating tree that appears in the center background of this image.

This photograph is also currently on display at the East Suburban Artists League's annual exhibit at the gallery at Penn State New Kensington, Pennsylvania through the end of December, 2010. Take a look at it and other fine artwork while you are there. Here is the article that appeared in the Valley News Dispatch on this show. Click on the image to enlarge.

36. Gold Vision, 12 x 16, digital photograph

2010-12-16T17:11:00.005-05:00

This is one of my photographs I have altered to resemble an oil painting. Since many have created paintings to resemble photographs, I though turnabout was fair play. I am not really sure how I feel about the idea of altering a photograph in this manner, but I figure that as long as I am not trying to deceive anyone, there should be no problem. Is it art? Well, it looks good to me, and it didn't exist before I went to the trouble of making it, so I say yes, it is art, and maybe a sub-category of art from altered photographs, something that has been with us since cameras were first invented. What do you think?

This photograph is currently on display at the East Suburban Artists League's annual exhibit at the gallery at Penn State New Kensington, Pennsylvania through the end of December, 2010. Take a look at it and other fine artwork while you are there. Here is the article on the art show that appeared in the Valley News Dispatch. Click on the image to enlarge.

35. Snow Trails, 16 x 20, oil on canvas, 2010

2010-12-15T11:39:00.006-05:00

This painting is based on a photograph I took in January near Export, Pennsylvania, when I noticed trails left in the snow by cows wandering across the hillside. The original is on display during the month of December, 2010 at The Gallery Space, located at the Monroeville, PA public library, and is available for sale. It is part of an exhibition featuring the works of members of the East Suburban Artists League. Click on image to enlarge.

On another note, I am completing my association with Michaels as a Grumbacher Certified Art Instructor at the end of 2010. My last classes will be at the Monroeville and Greensburg stores on Saturday, December 18th. It has been a pleasure being able to teach art classes once again and I look forward to doing something similar at some point in the future. The acrylic fine art program will go on and Grumbacher is presently looking for my replacement at these Michaels stores, so be sure to check with them to see if Acrylic Fine Art Classes are being offered at these locations after the first of the year. Be sure to keep your brush wet and your mind open!

34. Anybody Can Be An Artist - Acrylic Art Painting Classes at Michaels 10/16/2010 thru 12/18/2010

2010-10-15T16:03:00.007-04:00

NOTE: CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY LATEST AND MOST COMPLETE BLOG ABOUT ACRYLIC PAINTING

Anybody can learn to be an artist! You can create a beautiful acrylic work of art in just two hours, suitable to frame and put on your wall. Choose between making a landscape, floral, still life or seascape painting. You’ll be surprised how fun and easy it can be.

For the low price of $27, Michaels is offering acrylic fine art classes hosted by Grumbacher, a leading brand of American manufactured paints. A qualified instructor (that's me) will lead you through the basics of starting and completing a painting. Believe me, you will thoroughly enjoy the experience and will want to come back to learn more. Sign up for classes at the Michaels cashier and ask for the class supplies list.

Beginning in November, I will be teaching roughly every other week at the Michaels in Monroeville, Pennsylvania (3759 William Penn Hwy 412-856-6040) on Saturday mornings at at the Michaels in Greensburg, Pennsylvania (behind the Westmoreland Mall 724-837-4540) on Saturday afternoons.

Here is the current schedule of classes (NOTE the FREE DEMONSTRATIONS at both locations on Saturday, November 13, 2010):

MICHAELS in MONROEVILLE, PA 3759 William Penn Hwy (412-856-6040):

Saturday 10/16/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Landscape

Saturday 10/23/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Floral

Saturday 10/30/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Still Life

Saturday 11/06/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm    Seascape
Saturday 11/13/2010    10:00am - 12:00pm    FREE DEMONSTRATION
Saturday 11/20/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm    Floral
Saturday 12/04/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm    Still Life
Saturday 12/18/2010    10:00am - 12:00pm    Landscape

MICHAELS in GREENSBURG, PA
(behind the Westmoreland Mall)724-837-4540:

Sunday    10/17/2010    2:00pm - 4:00pm   Landscape
Sunday    10/24/2010    2:00pm - 4:00pm    Floral
Sunday 10/31/2010    2:00pm - 4:00pm    Still Life
Saturday 11/06/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm    Seascape
Saturday 11/13/2010      2:00pm - 4:00pm       FREE DEMONSTRATION
Saturday 11/20/2010    2:00pm - 4:00pm       Floral
Saturday 12/04/2010      2:00pm - 4:00pm       Still Life
Saturday 12/18/2010      2:00pm - 4:00pm       Landscape

Schedules for these classes and at other Michaels stores can also be found at:
http://www.grumbacherart.com/michaels.

If you take one of my classes, please be sure to fill out the survey form given on the handout you received in class. Please check back if you are interested in taking additional classes. I try to vary the lessons to ensure that nobody is forced to paint the same picture twice. The whole experience has been a pleasure to me and I hope to see you in one of my classes soon!

33. Acrylic Art Classes at Michaels - Schedule 9/11/2010 thru 10/31/2010

2010-09-17T01:05:00.018-04:00

NOTE: CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY LATEST AND MOST COMPLETE BLOG ABOUT ACRYLIC PAINTING

Anybody can be an artist! Learn how to create a beautiful acrylic work of art in just two hours. Choose between making a floral, landscape, still life or seascape painting. You’ll be surprised how fun and easy it can be.

For the low price of $27, Michaels is offering acrylic fine art classes hosted by Grumbacher, a leading brand of American manufactured paints. A qualified instructor (yours truly) will lead you through the basics of starting and completing a painting you can take home and hang on the wall. Sign up for classes at the Michaels cashier and ask for the class supplies list.

MICHAELS in MONROEVILLE
3759 William Penn Hwy (412-856-6040):

Saturday 09/11/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Landscape

Saturday 09/18/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Floral

Saturday 09/25/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Landscape

Saturday 10/02/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Still Life

Saturday 10/09/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Seascape

Saturday 10/16/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Landscape

Saturday 10/23/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Floral

Saturday 10/30/2010 10:00am - 12:00pm Still Life

MICHAELS in TARENTUM
(The Village at Pittsburgh Mills)724-274-3708:

Saturday 09/11/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Landscape

Saturday 09/18/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Floral

Saturday 09/25/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Landscape

Saturday 10/02/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Still Life

Saturday 10/09/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Seascape

MICHAELS in GREENSBURG
(behind the Westmoreland Mall)724-837-4540:

Sunday 09/12/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Landscape

Sunday 09/19/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Floral

Sunday 09/26/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Landscape

Sunday 10/03/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Still Life

Sunday 10/10/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Seascape

Sunday 10/17/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Landscape

Sunday 10/24/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Floral

Sunday 10/31/2010 2:00pm - 4:00pm Still Life

32. Acrylic Painting Classes at Michael's -- Anyone Can Be An Artist!

2010-07-25T02:26:00.052-04:00

NOTE: CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY LATEST AND MOST COMPLETE BLOG ABOUT ACRYLIC PAINTING

Michaels Arts and Crafts Stores are offering fine art classes hosted by Graumbacher, a leading brand in American manufactured paints, and they have asked me to to be their instructor to lead you through the basics of starting and completing a painting you can hang on your wall. Join us for 2 hours of fun-filled creativity. Choose between a lovely landscape painting or a fine floral painting. Just $27 per class + supplies. Register at one of the stores below and receive your supply list!

The landscape (above, left) and the floral painting (below, left) are 9x12's and are examples of the paintings we'll be creating. Click on images to enlarge.

Classes and demonstrations by Bob Bickers will be at the following Michael’s stores (click on them for maps and directions):

Michael’s

3759 William Penn Highway

Monroeville, PA 15146

412-856-6040

Michael’s (The Village at Pittsburgh Mills)

1030 Village Center Drive
Tarentum, PA 15084
724-274-3708

Michael’s (behind the Westmoreland Mall)
5280 Route 30, Suite 6
Greensburg, PA 15601
724-837-4540

•► FREE DEMO AUGUST 14-15! Come and meet the instructor! Watch, ask questions and see if this is the right class for you.

Painting Demonstration:

Saturday 8/14/2010 10:00am-12:00pm : Michaels in Monroeville

Saturday 8/14/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels at Pittsburgh Mills

Sunday 8/15/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels in Greensburg

Landscape Painting:

Saturday 8/21/2010 10:00am-12:00pm : Michaels in Monroeville

Saturday 8/21/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels at Pittsburgh Mills

Sunday 8/22/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels in Greensburg

Floral Painting:

Saturday 8/28/2010 10:00am-12:00pm : Michaels in Monroeville

Saturday 8/28/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels at Pittsburgh Mills

Sunday 8/29/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels in Greensburg

Landscape Painting:

Saturday 9/11/2010 10:00am-12:00pm : Michaels in Monroeville

Saturday 9/11/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels at Pittsburgh Mills

Sunday 9/12/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels in Greensburg

Floral Painting:

Saturday 9/18/2010 10:00am-12:00pm : Michaels in Monroeville

Saturday 9/18/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels at Pittsburgh Mills

Sunday 9/19/2010 2:00-4:00pm : Michaels in Greensburg

I look forward to seeing you there. You will be surprised to find that painting with acrylics is easier than you think, that you are more creative than you may think and that you could have so much fun!

31. Acrylic Painting Classes at Michael's

2010-07-07T00:22:00.018-04:00

NOTE: CLICK HERE TO GO TO MY LATEST AND MOST COMPLETE BLOG ABOUT ACRYLIC PAINTING

I have been asked by Chartpak, Inc. to be their Grumbacher representative and teach beginning acrylic painting classes beginning in August, 2010 at Michael's in Greensburg, PA, Monroeville PA, and in Tarentum, PA at The Village at Pittsburgh Mills. Grumbacher is the maker of fine artist products including Academy line of acrylic paints. Unlike oil paints, which use turpentine or mineral spirits as a solvent, acrylics are mixed with water and are much less messy. I am looking forward to this opportunity to teach art again (I used to teach an Bill Alexander oil painting class for JoAnn's a few years ago). We will begin with a class on painting a simple landscape and a second class painting flowers. Check back here for dates, times and more information in the coming weeks!

30. Bear Hollow Park, Murrysville, PA

2010-06-12T00:49:00.010-04:00

The East Suburban Artists League has been sponsoring an informal event at various local parks the last two months in which members are encouraged to photograph or paint plein-aire paintings, which will be exhibited later this year. So far, I have been unable to participate in this event due other obligations, but I have been able to sneak over to Bear Hollow Park to take a series of photographs. My hope is to create some art from these images, but some of them I think I will let stand on their own. These two photos are examples of photography that would be hard to improve. The top one is Bear Hollow Park Wetlands and the bottom one I call Bear Hollow Reflections. I will keep trying to get to the park with my paintbrush in hand and eventually, I will have some paintings to include in this series. Click on images to enlarge.

29. Brad Bickers the Graduate

2010-05-25T13:41:00.007-04:00

Allow me a little expression of a father's pride when I extend a hearty congratulations to my son, Jonathan Bradley Bickers, who was graduated from Bartlett High School in Bartlett, Tennessee this past weekend. Brad, always a hard worker, has been mentioned in this blog before (once for becoming an Eagle Scout and the other in regards to his growing yard greeting business, Flamingo Brad & Friends) and he is working this summer expanding his landscaping and lawn care business before starting college this fall. Don't get a heat stroke, Brad. It's already over 90 degrees in Memphis! In this picture is Brad, his truck he uses in his business, and Ajax his dog, all photographed at Shelby Forest State Park north of Memphis. Click on the image to enlarge.

28. Valley of Fire State Park (photographs)

2010-03-31T19:46:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the recession, a couple of months ago I was able to spend a few days in Las Vegas, Nevada for a price that made it impossible to turn down. My wife and I aren't big gamblers, so we spent most of our days visiting the local state parks including Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire State Park. It was a fascinating experience as I had usually gone through the major deserts of the west in the summer, enduring blistering heat. Here, it was a pleasant 60 degrees at day and nearly freezing at night. Everything poisonous was hibernating, the parks were nearly empty, and the weather was great (we had arrived just after weeks of storms had rolled over the Las Vegas valley). I took about 6,000 pictures over four days. Here's a couple of them from Valley of Fire State Park, about 20 miles northeast of Las Vegas. Many more will soon follow. Click on the images to enlage.

27. Snow Vanes I and II (photographs)

2010-02-15T21:18:00.012-05:00

It has been snowing here in western Pennsylvania. It's been snowing a lot. Step into my front yard and the snow will come up past your knee and half way up your thigh. I drive out of my garage along the bottom of an ice canyon until I burst upon the street, hoping that a person or an animal isn't lurking behind these white wall corners. Actually, I would find getting about quite an exciting adventure but for the other drivers out on the road who tend to tailgate and have no appreciation how slick snow can really be, as evidenced by the great pile-ups we keep seeing over and over again.

This time of year is also one of great beauty and I am loading up on plenty of digital images of the sights of the season. The sun has an especially appealing way of interacting with snow and ice to create unexpected wonders. After our epic snowfall, I noticed thin vanes of snow clung to the branches for days --something that I rarely see. I'll be posting more photos and snow-inspired paintings in the days and weeks to come. Click on the images to enlarge.

26. Flamingo Brad and Friends

2010-01-21T23:13:00.009-05:00

For those of you who live in the Memphis, Tennessee area and Northeastern Shelby County, I'd like to announce the beginning of my son's new enterprise, Flamingo Brad and Friends, a lawn greeting business. Brad started a landscaping and lawn care business last summer, and he plans to continue that business this year as well. But in addition, Flamingo Brad and Friends provides people a delightful way to surprise and entertain someone with a special greeting a bold visual statement. Flamingo Brad's logo and website were created by yours truly. Click the logo and check out Brad's website for more information.

25. A Cold Wind - (photograph)

2010-01-12T22:41:00.006-05:00

This image is another example of using various devices to achieve a desired effect. In other words, "whatever works." I took this picture (one of my favorite barns in Murrysville, PA) with a Polaroid camera one cold winter day. A combination of short exposure and slow development in low temperatures created a very coarse image with a bluish overcast, perfectly capturing the bitter cold I was after (and was experiencing!). Click on the image to enlarge. If you have seen my main website (at www.bobbickers.net) you might have noticed a new design change. I am trying to modernize my websites to make them more readable and easier to navigate. Expect additional changes in the weeks to come.

24. Winter's Breath - (photograph)

2010-01-01T23:48:00.008-05:00

I decided to start off the new year with Winter's Breath, one of my favorite images. It was taken a few years ago with a Polaroid camera on a sunny but cold and brisk day. I hoped that the cool colors of the cloud and sky would convey the cold wind I felt on my face. Sometimes, my best images aren't necessiarily created with my best equipment. Anyone with a good eye for composition and color can capture an image in such a way to transform a snapshot into fine art. Click on the image to enlarge.

23. The Business End - (photograph)

2009-12-31T12:55:00.012-05:00

Technically, 2010 is the last year of the first decade of the 21st century, just as 2000 was the last year of the 20th century. But just as that argument fell on deaf (and largely ignorant) ears back then, so are people unwilling to listen to logic now. It's hard not to think you are in a new decade when you are forced to write two different digits in the date. That being the case, I won't even try to argue when the decade ends or begins, at least, not here.

This blog began in 2009 and it has been an interesting and successful year for me in many ways. I think it is fitting, however that I end out the year with the photograph, The Business End, as it shows how almost anything you encounter in life can be made into an interesting piece of art. This truck was in front of me and I was amazed at the detail in colors and shapes that was so unlike the back end of most vehicles. I had to grab a photograph and preserve what I saw. I want to thank all those who supported and encouraged me this year and in the past. I hope your own artistic vision continues to expand as well and that you will find art --and maybe beauty- in everything you see throughout the new year. Let's make this year and decade a good one! Click on the image above to enlarge.

22. ESAL Art Show at the Penn State New Kensington Gallery

2009-12-04T16:46:00.008-05:00

The East Suburban Artists League is holding its annual members show at the Penn State Gallery at their New Kensington, PA campus during the month of December, 2009. The campus is located on Route 780 in Upper Burrell, PA in Westmoreland County. More than 50 paintings, drawings and sculptures are part of the exhibit, and many are for sale at prices ranging from $50 to $500. An artists' reception is slated for 7 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, in the gallery. The Art Gallery and the East Suburban Artists League exhibit will be open through the holiday break except for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. Hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and noon to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The reception and exhibit are free to the public. For information on ESAL, contact Sue Foster at (724) 327-6097 or susanfoster@windstream.net via e-mail. The two pictures shown here are by Bob Bickers and appear in the exhibit, Clear Signal and Misdirection. Both pictures are framed and available for sale at $60 each. Click on the images to enlarge.

21. Conemaugh Photo Album - Autumn 2009 [Conemaugh River Reflections III & IV]

2009-11-19T13:12:00.009-05:00

The season has passed and the colors of autumn here are but a memory. They still live in my photos and here are a couple more images of the area behind the Conemaugh Dam not too far from where I live in western Pennsylvania. Click on the images to enlarge.

20. Tree Dreams I - (photograph)

2009-11-12T12:24:00.008-05:00

I cannot help but stop and spend a little time with a tree that catches my eye. That was true of one particular tree I have known for some years, but which seems to grow more spectacular as it ages. This one is not too far from the Conemaugh River in northern Westmoreland County. Besides the gnarled wood and rich texture and color in the leaves, the truck is splitting open but also appears to hug the ground. I like the spacing of the branches that allow a view into the tree trunk. I took this photo late in the day as the sun was setting. The tone was slightly modified to bring out the rich details. It is not uncommon for trees that have either grown isolated or had the surrounding forest cleared away by agriculture to grow into eccentric individuals. I have more images of this tree to post later. Click on the image to enlarge.

19. Conemaugh Photo Album - Autumn 2009 [Conemaugh River Reflections I & II]

2009-11-10T12:26:00.041-05:00

The leaves here have turned, briefly filled the hills and valleys with color and then dropped to the ground. Before that happened, however, I managed to get out to Conemaugh Reservoir near where I live in western Pennsylvania and take a few pictures. Every year the trees react differently and it is hard to predict how colorful the leaves will be. This year, the leave stuck around a little bit longer and were beautiful in certain places, particularly near sundown. These are the first of a series of photos. Click on the images to enlarge.

18. Art Juror for the Community Arts and Activities Center of Jeannette, Pennsylvania

2009-10-02T23:11:00.021-04:00

I have been asked to serve as the Juror (or Judge) for the 2009 Community Arts and Activities Center (CAAC) Juried Art Exhibition, November 7-29, 2009 in Jeannette, Pennsylvania. The art show will take place at Hanks Hall, 211 Gaskill Avenue, Jeannette, PA (off alley to the back of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity). This is an open, juried competition for works in all media. There is a young adult division for artists in grades 6-12 and the main adult division for artists 18 and older. Awards will be given (some of them for cash) and will include Best of Show, People's Choice Award, First, Second and Third Place, Honorable Mentions and a Purchase Award. More information, including entry deadlines, entry fees and drop-off / pick-up instructions and entry applications can be obtained by contacting in writing: CAAC, 211 Gaskill Avenue, Jeannette, PA 15644 or calling Sheila Defibaugh (724-527-2433) or Chris Mozley (724-527-5683). An entry form is available here. I sincerely appreciate this opportunity and I look forward to seeing and judging some mighty fine art!

Postscript - November 4, 2009: It was a sincere pleasure and honor to be able to judge this art show yesterday. It was very difficult assigning awards due to the large volume of extremely fine pieces which included mixed media sculpture, oil, watercolor, pen and ink, fabric art and other media. The artwork was hung on the wall of the very beautiful main sanctuary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the Holy Trinity. Thanks again for allowing me to be apart of this artistic experience. I highly recommend this exhibit and may enter this show myself in the future. --Bob Bickers

17. Toll Road - (photograph)

2009-09-27T00:58:00.010-04:00

This photo is based on an image I took a few years ago while traveling on Highway 66 in Westmoreland County, PA, not far from my home in Murrysville. This toll road is an off-shoot of the Pennsylvania Turnpike and shows the winding roads and hills of this part of the state. Click on the image to enlarge.

16. Misdirection - (photograph)

2009-09-11T00:10:00.010-04:00

Here's another one of my photographs taken in the Allegheny Mountains just west of Altoona, Pennsylvania last month. It was early morning and the fog was only slowly revealing the landscape as the sun climbed into the sky. Broken clouds and rays of sunlight illuminated the road unevenly, creating this mysterious and entrancing scene. Click on the image to enlarge.

15. Apollo 11 - 40 Years a Memory Redux

2009-09-10T23:18:00.013-04:00

I have been asked to repeat my presentation of Apollo 11 - 40 Years a Memory, first presented at the Monroeville Public Library on July 20th, before the residents and families of Bayberry Court Retirement Home in Lower Burrell, PA, on October 10, 2009. I will have several of my paintings on display and my collection of newspapers and magazines from that historic mission in 1969. Again, you can see my complete show on display at my website here. At right is Columbia Earthrise, 18 x 24, oil on gessoboard, 2009. Click on image to enlarge.

14. In Murrysville Magazine Article published

2009-09-05T23:26:00.013-04:00

The Fall 2009 issue of In Murrysville Magazine is now out and inside on page 6 you will find an article written by Barb Glozik on my art show and presentation on July 20, 2009 at the Monroeville Public Library and the Gallery Space called "Apollo 11 - 40 Years a Memory". The article is similar to one that was published last week by In Monroeville Magazine. Again, many thanks to the publishers of In Murrysville Magazine and to Barb Glozik for writing about this event. Click on the magazine cover to see the full article.

13. A Tale of Two Artists

2009-09-03T21:00:00.035-04:00

Convergent evolution is when two different species, sometimes widely separated by time or location, adapt to similar environments by evolving similar characteristics. An example is the streamlined shapes of sharks (a fish), ichthyosaurs (a reptile), and dolphins (a mammal). I think something similar occurs to artists, allowing them to sometimes think very much alike.

In 2006 I visited the Rocky Mountains in Colorado. On my way home, I took a shortcut down a small highway across the great plains of eastern Colorado on to Kansas. I usually keep my eye open for interesting sights along the way that I can photograph and use in my artwork at a later date. We were in a hurry to get home, so I had to be content with taking quick snapshots of buildings and terrain as I sped along in the car. Driving through Matheson, Colorado, my eye spotted a simple, white church that just cried out to be painted. Unfortunately, my camera wasn't ready, I missed the shot and while I should have stopped and gone back to photograph it, I didn't and regretted it almost immediately.

Then in early 2009, I started to explore on the internet the Street View feature of Google Maps that allowed you to view the surrounding landscape from any point along roads that had been photographed by Google. It occurred to me that I might be able to re-capture views from the highway that I had missed before. At right is an image captured from Google Maps Street View of that church that I downloaded in April, 2009.

Great minds must think alike because a couple of weeks ago I opened my September, 2009 issue of Southwest Art maga zine and on page 12, to my surprise, was another image of that same church in Matheson, Colorado. It was a watercolor, Church Key, Matheson, by Brian Clifford, 22 x 30, shown at right. Mr. Clifford's painting is too detailed to have been made from Google's crude image, but it does show that he was, as was I, struck by the same simple lines and graceful shapes of this little church, nearly alone out on the plains. I commend Mr. Clifford for following through and creating a fine work of art. I will eventually do the same, probably in oil. You'll see it here first, when I do.

12. In Monroeville Magazine Article published

2009-09-01T11:28:00.015-04:00

The Fall 2009 issue of In Monroeville Magazine has been published and inside on page 13 you will find an article written by Barb Glozik on my art show and presentation on July 20, 2009 at the Monroeville Public Library and the Gallery Space called "Apollo 11 - 40 Years a Memory". Many thanks to the publishers of In Monroeville Magazine and to Barb Glozik for writing about this event. Click on the magazine cover to see the full article.

11. Clear Signal - (photograph)

2009-08-31T00:18:00.014-04:00

Another photo taken on Highway 22 in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is remarkable to me how much cell towers have become a part of the landscape when just a few years ago they didn't even exist. Actually, I would have expected a future with fewer radio towers. Still, with their tall shapes bristling with antennas, I think they have a stark beauty of their own. Click on the photo to enlarge.

10. Open Road - (photograph)

2009-08-28T20:32:00.014-04:00

A view of Interstate 99 between State College and Altoona, Pennsylvania one hazy summer afternoon a couple of weeks ago. Click on the image to enlarge.

9. Allegheny Morn - (photograph)

2009-08-25T11:51:00.015-04:00

This is one of my latest photographs, taken just last week while driving east along Highway 22 one morning into the hills and mountains just beyond my home in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. The beginning of the Allegheny Mountains can be seen in the distance. Click on the image to enlarge.

8. Youngest Elected Official in the History of the State of Tennessee

2009-08-19T10:46:00.028-04:00

Pictured at right is me, with a lot more hair, exactly 35 years ago, running as a candidate for Shelby County Constable in Memphis, Tennessee. I was 18 years, 6 months old when I won that election in August of 1974, and in so doing, became the youngest elected official in the history of the state of Tennessee. How I got there is itself mildly interesting. And yes, I designed and painted the sign myself. Click on the image to enlarge.

Back in the 1960's and early 1970's attorneys were not allowed to advertise at all. There were no lawyer ads on TV or the radio. There were no ads in magazines or the newspapers. There were no signs or billboards featuring attorneys. You could list yourself in the phone book, but Bar Association restrictions even regulated the size of the lettering you could use to put your name on your office door. The only way new attorneys could get themselves known was to be active civic leaders and often, to participate in politics. My father, himself an attorney, did these things and even wrote a newspaper column for a while in an effort to get his name out to the public. More than once he was a candidate for city council, county commissioner and for congress (and as you can guess, I spent a lot of time designing campaign materials, painting signs and campaigning). As a high school senior in 1974, I was considering being an attorney or going into politics. I was in my father's law office one day and discovered in his law books that the only public office I was old enough to hold was that of constable.

The constable's office was a law enforcement position which the voters of each county elected. Shelby County was large enough to have three constables. The term was for two years. A few years earlier, several constables (who at that time were not required to have any police training) had created a controversy by setting up "speed traps" that harassed various celebrities. The state legislature responded by virtually eliminating the duties of the constables in the four largest counties in the state. The only real job they had was to serve suit papers on the local sheriff (a job usually done by sheriff deputies, except there would be a conflict of interest).

I already had two semesters at Memphis State University behind me that summer when I was elected. Here is a copy of the newspaper article when I was sworn into office (complete with unflattering photo). For the next two years I was available, and often was called upon, to serve Sheriff Roy Nixon whenever somebody sued the Sheriff's Department. I served my term and performed my duties well without incident. It was an interesting experience both during the election process and while holding office. I considered the opportunity to serve Shelby County an honor and privilege.

In the summer of 1976 I ran for re-election. I also ran for a seat on the Shelby County Democratic Executive Committee, as did my brother, William, and my father (who had been on the Democratic Executive Committee back in the 1960's). The Bickers name appeared on the ballot 4 times that election. My brother and father won their races. I lost my committee race to an individual with the same last name as a former mayor, and I lost the constable race by 22 votes!

Meanwhile, I had concentrated on my studies at MSU and served in the student government as Chief-of-Staff, Senator and Associate Justice on the Student Court. I re-activated and re-organized the Campus Democrats and was editor and publisher of the Campus Democrat Newspaper. In 1977 I worked as my father's campaign manager and helped get him elected as a delegate to the Tennessee Constitutional Convention which was convened to reform and update the state constitution. As a result of the Constitutional Convention, the office of constable was eliminated from the state constitution. In the few small counties where they were later reinstated by legislation, new laws required them to be 21 years of age and undergo police training. This secured my place in history, for whatever that is worth, as the age requirement for constable had only recently been lowered to 18 (after the passing of the 26th Amendment in 1971) and all other political offices in the state also had a minimum age requirement of at least 21. That may have since changed somewhat for certain offices, but to my knowledge, I still hold the record for the youngest office holder in Tennessee and I think I will probably keep that record for some time to come.

Now, to be perfectly honest, my father, Robert V. Bickers, Sr., had served as constable the previous three terms before I was elected. I did, however, make a concerted effort to get myself known by advertising and newspaper articles and tried as hard as I could to distinguish myself from my father. And as much as I dislike being a "Junior" (more on that another time), this was probably one instance where having my father's name was an advantage. This was a race, after all, where one of the main reasons for running was to prevent some relatively unknown and possibly unstable individual from assuming office and becoming an embarrassment to themselves and Shelby County. Being elected constable was a useful and educational experience for me, and nobody had to worry that I would let it go to my head; nevertheless, I was glad to have been a part of the efforts to modernize the government. Partly as a result of my father's efforts, the office of constable was removed from the state constitution and my successor quietly served out the last term of the office of constable in Shelby County, Tennessee.

Oh yes, it turned out that one other office holder had the authority to serve suit papers on the Sheriff when the constable was no longer available --the County Coroner.

7. One More for the Road - Apollo 11 Memories

2009-08-12T19:58:00.020-04:00

I have had a number of people contact me since I set up my art exhibition and presentation called APOLLO 11 - 40 YEARS A MEMORY. (Note: Although the show is now over, the artwork is still available to view and purchase on my website.) Most of those who have sought me out have brought me fascinating tales of their involvement in the space program or what they were doing on the evening of July 20, 1969 when Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon. While many have expressed wishes that their father had taken a photograph of their family around the TV set as mine had (seen here), apparently very few actually did.

One exception was my friend and fellow Murrysville artist Allen Maloney and his wife Pat who took this remarkable photograph (click on image to enlarge) of their young daughter, Patty, born on December 1, 1968 --just a couple of weeks before Apollo 8 first went into orbit around the moon. She is reaching towards the astronaut just as he is placing his foot on the lunar soil. I am told that while Neil made have made his important step that evening, Patty's first step came a little later. Many thanks to Allen and Pat Maloney for sharing this unique image with me. These are precious pictures that should be preserved for future generations as they can never be re-created.

6. APOLLO 11 - 40 YEARS A MEMORY

2009-08-10T09:52:00.020-04:00

Apollo 11 poster.

The following is an abridged transcript of my presentation at the Monroeville Public Library on the evening of July 20, 2009 upon the 40th anniversary of the first landing on the moon. Images of the artwork and photographs of this exhibition can be found here on my website. Other blogs on this art show include my blog of June 15, 2009, July 4, 2009, July 21, 2009, and August 12, 2009.

I want to thank you all for attending tonight. I am Bob Bickers, the artist behind this exhibition. I want to take this opportunity to thank the Friends of the Monroeville Public Library who support the Gallery Space and is sponsoring this exhibition. I also want to recognize Sally Wightkin, curator of the Gallery Space, and the various volunteers who work hard each month to bring us wonderful art shows in this very fine forum. Finally, I want to thank Mr. Mark Hudson, head of Adult Programs here at the library who invited me to appear here and say a few words. Allow me to introduce my wife, Diane Bickers. She is my law partner at Bickers & Bickers in Murrysville and serves as my assistant in events as this. In fact, tomorrow is our 16th wedding anniversary. Also here to lend a hand is my daughter, Alyssa Bickers. She just turned 15 and is a student at Franklin Regional High School.

The Bickers family on July 20, 1969.

Before I get started, I want to announce that this afternoon I was contacted by Alan Boyle, MSNBC's science editor and host of MSNBC's Cosmic Log. Apparently, my short story of my Apollo memories in 1969 and the photo of my family placed me in front of 1400 other entries, winning me a prize and putting that family photo on the front page of MSNBC.com and in the Cosmic Log. I also won a very nice book which will be mailed to me shortly. This was an unexpected surprise and I am truly honored that Mr. Boyle chose to select me for his column. I plan to start by talking about the events of 40 years ago, then I will share some interesting facts that have come to light about the Apollo program since then and finish with a brief explanation of the photos and paintings in this exhibit and up here on the tables.

I. My Background: A little bit about me: I was born in 1956 and was always interested in space exploration. Some of my earliest memories included watching TV coverage of the early Mercury and Gemini missions. I never missed a televised lift-off if I could help it. About that time I also started drawing spacecraft and rockets. I got pretty good at it and even sold some of them to my classmates for a nickel each. I was known at school, there in Memphis, Tennessee where I grew up, as the guy who wanted to be an astronaut. I met very few others at that time who shared my passion for space. In fact, the day after the Apollo 1 fire (on 1/27/1967) when Gus Grissom, Roger Chaffee & Ed White died during a rehearsal on the launchpad, I came to school and all my classmates stared at me, saying, well, do you still want to be an astronaut? Of course, I said. Being an astronaut is dangerous but the rewards of space exploration make the risks worth it. The fact is, I was not discouraged but wanted to be an astronaut more than ever, and I consumed every book in the library and every magazine and newspaper article I could find on the space program and project Apollo in particular. By 1969 I was 13 years old and in the 7th grade. I won the science fair at my school in 1969 when I produced detailed plans and blueprints for a manned mission to Mars. It was basically a Saturn V third stage outfitted for inter-planetary travel. Somehow NASA stole my idea and created Skylab out of the Saturn’s third stage, but instead of sending it to Mars they placed it in Earth orbit, where it eventually fell on Australia. We have, by the way, another space station, another Skylab, and you can see it at the Smithsonian. We chose to make it into an exhibit rather than place it in orbit. Or send it to Mars. By the time Apollo 11 lifted off that summer in 1969, I felt I was ready for it. I had my huge National Geographic map of the moon (showing the near and far side of the moon) mounted on heavy cardboard and tiny Apollo models on pins where I could plot their exact positions as they orbited the moon. I had models of all the spacecraft and satellites I could get my hands on. My bedroom looked a little like a branch of mission control, if unofficial and perhaps unnecessary. I built a 3D model of the Earth and moon on plywood (the Earth was a painted rubber ball and the moon was the size of a marble) and used tiny specks of white paint (red for Russian spacecraft) on the heads of black insect pins to represent the spacecraft on their voyage to and from the moon. (I also had a similar model of the inner and outer solar system. Holes were drilled for each week of travel in each planet’s orbit and once a week, all the planets advanced one hole. I pulled out strands of cotton from a cotton ball attached it to a pin to represent comets. I used this model to keep track of interplanetary probes and planetary positions). Background stars and the Milky Way were applied by flicking a toothbrush with paint on it and that created micro-dots. Not bad I think at a time before we had computers. And when you put a black light on them - wow, you could imagine you were there in space.

II. The World of 1969: Now it seems to me that there are two types of people in the world today –those who remember the Apollo landings and those who don’t. I will ask that those who do remember to bear with me, as we share a common experience, while I attempt to convey to those who weren’t there, what it was like to live in 1969. In 1969 we had no twitter, no e-mail, no podcasts, no webcasts, in fact, no internet at all. Only the military, some government agencies such as NASA and some big businesses had computers and most of those would fill a room or closet at least. Information was stored on magnetic tape or on paper cards with little rectangles cut out on them. In fact, the want ads were full of advertised positions for key-punch operators. There were no laptops, and only a typewriter could fit on a desktop (and if you were lucky, it might be electric). You had no cell phones, no blackberries, no satellite TV, no cable TV. No TiVo, No CD’s, No DVD’s, No VCR’s, No videotape (for the public), no way to record anything off the TV except to take photographs of the TV screen on photographic film or point a movie camera at the TV and capture it on movie film. This was a time of Kodachrome slide film, Super 8mm movies and projectors, cassette tapes were just a few years old and the brand new 8-track cassettes showed promise as the preferred medium of the future, at least for music. So now that I’ve firmly established that we lived in the electronic dark ages, what did we have to obtain information? We had radio –all the popular DJ’s and the top 40 music was playing on the AM radio and there were numerous local stations. None of that was stereo, by the way. FM only had a handful of stations which played entire music albums of obscure artists. It was certainly no source for news. The shortwave radio was always reliable even if half of the airwaves were being jammed by an annoying buzzing noise by various nations trying to block radio broadcasts from other nations. Still, the BBC from London or South Africa was usually a steady and reliable, if somewhat exotic, source of news. Newspapers came out once or twice a day if your city had an afternoon paper. Magazines were much fewer and broader in scope than what we have today. Still they were published once a week at best, but usually just once a month. That left us with 1969 television. We had only four local stations in Memphis then. One for each of the major networks, ABC, NBC, CBS and PBS. There were no USB channels. No CNN. PBS (WKNO) only broadcasted educational programs for school classes to sometimes watch in the daytime, and then went off the air by late afternoon. That made the three major networks the primary information source for current events as they occurred. I must say that quality and objectivity in the network news rooms was better than it is now. And they were not afraid to break in with latest news. Let me say something here about Walter Cronkite on CBS, who passed away this weekend. It is hard to describe or convey how much an influence he was, how respected and trusted. He and some of the other news anchors on the other networks were our guides to the world. Most people in the United States got their news through one of these few individuals. They were familiar friends, almost family, to most Americans. Walter’s enthusiasm for the space program was infectious. I remember seeing him become annoyed on air with those who didn’t want their soap operas interrupted. He argued that this was the purpose of television - to bring to the viewer important news, even historic events, as they were taking place --not entertainment. Having said that, I personally preferred not to watch him, though. Walter was fascinating to watch and listen, especially when he interviewed someone, or when nothing important was going on. But the man simply would not shut up! He felt compelled to explain or comment on everything that happened, as it happened, that he would sometimes talk right over something important that was being said. Then he’d start asking what was just said, which he would know if he hadn’t been talking so much. Films show that he almost talked right over Neil Armstrong’s first words on the moon. I didn’t see that. I had long given up and turned to a channel where I could see and hear my information from NASA relatively uninterrupted. Still, I could not control the network executives and they decided what, how much or when I could see broadcasts from the moon, for instance. It was very frustrating later on to know that live TV was being broadcasted in the later Apollo missions but discovering that no network thought it was newsworthy enough to show us. There was no NASA TV, no internet. We were at the mercy of TV producers and book, magazine and newspaper editors as to what we would be shown and when. I may have been 13, but I didn’t like it. Only in the last few years, with the development of high speed internet, has the situation in rapid and full information access significantly improved. So, with a fast hand on the channel dial (there was no remote control –and the TV was black and white), I was ready for Apollo 11.

III. The Apollo Program: I’ll briefly summarize the Apollo missions to give you some perspective. Apollo 1 ended in a launch pad fire and the deaths of Grissom, Chaffee and White in January, 1967. The fire was caused by a spark from faulty wiring, flammable materials in the spacecraft and an operational atmosphere of 100% oxygen. The escape hatch, which had been literally bolted into place, provided no escape. After that, the Apollo capsule was redesigned and the program continued. Apollo 7 was launched in Earth orbit to check out the command and service modules. Apollo 8 was sent to lunar orbit where the astronauts read from the Bible on Christmas Eve, 1968, in the face of rumors that the Russians were about to beat us to it. Apollo 9 was another Earth-orbit mission and the first time the lunar lander was flown in space. In May of 1969, Apollo 10 went into lunar orbit with all the spacecraft components –this was a dress rehearsal for the actual landing. Finally, Apollo 11 actually landed on the moon in July, 1969, and I’ll talk about that mission in more detail in a moment. Apollo 12 landed on the moon in November, 1969. Apollo 13 became a rescue mission when an oxygen tank on the service module exploded on the way to the moon. You can rent and see the movie on that mission. Alan Shepard, who had been the first American astronaut to rocket into space on a Redstone Rocket, lead the mission of Apollo 14 and walked on the moon (and hit a golf ball with a modified club). The last three Apollo missions were more rewarding scientifically and more exciting in that not only did they include the lunar rovers to allow the astronauts to cover more territory, but they landed in riskier, but more interesting terrain, often close to rilles and large mountains. The Apollo program was cancelled by lack of funding by congress, but much of the hardware was already built. One Saturn V rocket was used to build and launch Skylab, the others were put on display. Three Apollo command and service modules were used to visit Skylab and the last Apollo capsule was used in the Apollo/Soyuz project with Russia in 1975.

IV. Apollo 11: But in July of 1969, there was definitely a building excitement of the realization that people were actually about to land on the moon. The daily papers and magazines were filled with articles, interviews and special sections and reports. The landing itself took place on the afternoon of July 20, 1969. The networks showed cartoons or models of the lunar lander (called “Eagle”) nearing the moon’s surface while we all listened to the voices of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and mission control. It was 3:17pm (Central Standard Time) when they safely landed and we all heard “Tranquility Base here...the Eagle has landed.” My parents, brother and sister and I had all been watching the TV. My father pointed out to me that my palms were all wet and sweaty from the tension of following the landing. I stepped outside to relax and work off the excess energy and excitement. I saw traffic on the road in front of our house and I could not believe that these people were so oblivious to the historic event that had just happened. “Where did these people need to go that was so important that they would miss such an historic event?” I asked myself. Later that night, the astronauts came out of their spacecraft for the moonwalk. Where were you that evening? It was Sunday night and our family gathered around the TV. My father took pictures of the TV screen and also had us all pose by the TV set. Later, we even threw a mattress into the den and stayed up late watching the news coverage. Many accounts have been described of what people were doing that evening. William Shatner recounted that time being alone, in a trailer, watching on a small portable TV, his show Star Trek cancelled and likely to be forgotten. Then we saw the ghostly images, shadows, sometimes transparent, reflections, and grainy. Yet it was odd the way the people bounced across the surface of the moon. You could clearly see the moon dust and dirt being kicked up and moved about, yet there were no clouds of dust in the vacuum at all. Very strange and other-worldly. The flag hung on a horizontal metal rod. It never rippled. It shook when someone touched it. It was made of nylon and decayed very quickly. According to Buzz Aldrin, it fell over during their lift-off from the rocket exhaust. President Nixon called, which everyone could have done without. Commentators openly wondered if the astronauts would really go back inside when told to. Cronkite added, “Who would stop them?” Cronkite also commented that this event was so historic that the calendar itself might be calibrated against it in the future with the years divided between “before moon” or BM and “after moon” or AM. Having been born in 13 BM didn’t sound too dignified and the current date of 40 AM was too confusing in the morning. Still... It is hard to fully describe what a transition this event represented in how we viewed the moon. The moon was always a bright round circle in the sky that changed shape and colors. Most of the time it didn’t even appear three-dimensional. It had an almost abstract quality to it. The moon was the very symbol of all things that were beyond our grasp. Things that were unreachable, unknowable. As thus, it also represented the future, perhaps mankind’s far future. Reaching it was something that would happen someday, when the future arrived, but not in our lifetimes. All of that changed that night. From then on due to this mission and the others that followed, the moon was less abstract and more real to me. It was an actual place, a fascinating and wonderful place that I found both interesting and beautiful. And as we explored even more rugged and varied terrain, it became even a magical place to me, so unlike Earth in its stark contrast. I disagree with Buzz Aldrin and his “magnificent desolation” description of the moon when he walked its surface which he explained recently really meant it was magnificent being there, but the moon was desolate and thus not beautiful. Is a desert not beautiful because it may be nearly lifeless? As an artist I disagree and I think he is being disingenuous because of his current push for Mars missions. I heard him that night myself and he was definitely transfixed by the stark beauty of the moon. When Apollo 11 ended, and the astronauts were back home, I got busy. I gathered newspapers and magazines as they came out. Here I have collected all the newspaper editions in Memphis from about a week before the mission to about two weeks after the mission. Later, I ordered government books and documents as they became available but quickly went out of print. Now we have many more books and sources on the internet. NASA and others have posted archives of all the photos that were taken on these missions. No longer are we solely reliant on publishers and editors. Plus we can take the imperfect photos and work with them with our computers. More about that later. I never did become an astronaut. My plan was to join the Air Force, become a pilot and then an astronaut, but I became disenfranchised with the military after three years of R.O.T.C. and I was also discouraged in the way that scientists and true scientific exploration had been pushed aside while much of the manned spaceflight program in the U.S. was dominated by engineers and pilot jocks. Not until the very last mission to the moon did NASA even include a real scientist on the crew. The book The Making of an Ex-Astronaut by Brian O'Leary, published in 1970 was a major influence to me. I became a lawyer instead and later refined my artistic abilities. My brother, who was going to be an attorney, instead became an Air Force pilot.

V. What We Have Learned in 40 Years: A steady stream of new information about the Apollo 11 mission started to surface almost before the mission was even completed. People started to talk about what they knew, books were written, mission debriefings which were originally classified by NASA were eventually declassified and released. Then the internet was developed that allowed a flood of information into the public forum where it has been thoroughly examined by many people. Still, new revelations are being made even today. Here are some facts that came out later and a few things you probably did not know about the Apollo 11 mission and crew. 1. Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin got his nickname “Buzz” from his sister, who pronounced "brother" as "buzzer" when she was learning to talk. 2. At the debriefings, Aldrin did not feel that they needed to wear life preservers during launch as they would be useless in a real emergency; 3. Michael Collins and Aldrin noted that Neil's suit pocket interfered with the abort handle and they were worried worried about that aborting the mission. 4. The spacesuit was far too tight in the crotch for Mike Collins. There was a problem at the suit factory using urine collection devices that did not fit well. Lift-off was especially painful for him. He recommended that astronauts take their own collection devices with them to the factory for a proper fitting. 5. The astronauts noticed a burnt smell when they first went into the Lunar Module. They spent some time checking for burnt wires but came up with nothing. 6. The crew was concerned about the lack of training in the TV broadcasts, which were broadcast live with 200 million people watching and they were afraid of looking like amateurs or worse. 7. UFOologists have had a heyday with this one –the crew noticed a strange object that floated along with them towards moon which sometimes looked like a cylinder. But their concern was that the object may have broken off the spacecraft and they wondered if it had something to do with the intermittent radio reception they sometimes had. The radio problems eventually got better and the object they sighted eventually disappeared when they went into lunar orbit. 8. Cosmic rays were striking the crews’ retinas which appeared as flashes or streaks through the spacecraft. This phenomena is more common in deep space beyond the Earth’s magnetic field and at that time was little understood and quite startling. 9. The lunar dust had a distinct odor. Neil Armstrong described it as "wet ashes in a fireplace" while Buzz Aldrin said the smell was "metallic." Others describe it as having the odor of gunpowder. 10. "The very first liquid ever poured on the moon, and the very first food eaten there, were the Communion elements," according to Buzz Aldrin. The pastor of Webster Presbyterian Church near Houston gave him a kit that included a wafer, vial of wine and small chalice. Aldrin administered Communion to himself shortly after landing. The church still uses this replica of the cup that went to the moon. 11. Buzz Aldrin, who had the title of Lunar Pilot was initially expected to be the first man on the moon, with mission commander Neil Armstrong going second. Aldrin’s home town paper even proclaimed him to be the future “first man” when they learned of his selection. But Armstrong insisted that he go first because he was the mission commander, and because of where he stood in the Lunar Module and the way the hatch opened, it was much easier for Armstrong to get out first. Somehow I find it hard to believe that something wouldn’t have been worked out if the door had swung the other way. 12. Aldrin has fostered some resentment about not being the first man on the moon, and some have attributed this to the fact that there is only one photo that Aldrin took on the lunar surface of Armstrong and that was one with his back to the camera. Almost all of the other photos were of Aldrin, although photographing each other was never a priority and taking photos on the surface was almost an afterthought on NASA’s part. Armstrong and Aldrin complained that their training with these Hasselblad cameras (which had no viewfinders) was poor and instruction in photography exposures, and what to photograph was clueless. Those in charge of images were not kept in the loop and made a part of the team. Photography instructions were added to the flight plan in pen and ink. The crew also wanted auto-exposure meters. The result of all of this is that almost all of the photos taken inside the spacecraft were underexposed and blurry. Those taken outside were not much better. Some of the problems with the images can be corrected today with modern re-imaging computer programs. Also, we are now able to splice images together, and improve them, to better give us an appreciation of what it must have been like to have been there on the surface of the moon in 1969. 13. Some of the things we later learned we probably did not need to know. For instance, Armstrong and Aldrin almost had to go to moon without jock straps. They were too embarrassed to ask ground control where they were, but they eventually found them put away with the spacesuits. 14. When an important switch on the Eagle’s control panel broke off, Aldrin used a felt-tip pen to jam it into the broken nub, thus allowing the astronauts to get back to the Command Module after lift-off from the moon. 15. Armstrong reported that while Earthshine was many times brighter than moonshine, it was still too dark for a safe landing by their estimation. 16. The astronauts on the Eagle stood up when landing and operating the spacecraft. They did have restraints designed to keep them on the floor, but the crew reported that they only tended to pull their pants down instead. 17. There were many other problems with check lists and procedures, not enough training, the coffee was tasteless, Armstrong said: “there ought to be a law against snaps” and instead using velcro; and the lack of coordination between them, mission control in Houston and the schedules they were given in using different time zones. from the schedules. 18. A very interesting revelation came about just this weekend. Originally, we were all told that after the lunar landing, the astronauts were scheduled a rest period before suiting up and then starting the moonwalk. Later, said NASA, the moonwalk was held ahead of schedule as the astronauts were too excited to sleep and wanted to get going. It was revealed 40 years later to a reporter at a banquet and confirmed by Neil Armstrong that a period of time was built into the schedule to allow the fluids and liquids in the Eagle to settle and to prepare the spacecraft for an emergency liftoff if that were to become necessary. The moon walk was to begin immediately afterwards (before something bad happened). The problem was that nobody knew how much time would be needed for this and the fear was that reporters would start spreading stories that there was a malfunction or something had gone wrong if the astronauts were not ready to start their walk immediately. It turned out that not that much time was needed to prepare the Eagle for lift-off and the moonwalk proceeded ahead of schedule, the “sleep period” being unnecessary. I always thought something wasn’t quite right about the explanation of a 4-hour rest period. Even Walter Cronkite could not believe that NASA seriously expected Aldrin and Armstrong to sleep and rest before going outside.

VI. A Few Final Observations: Space Exploration is in its infancy and so is Space Art. There is no school, no classes or instruction on how to paint perspective in a vacuum, atmospheric effects without an atmosphere. This is all new and artists who do attempt to paint this subject matter are all pioneers, self-taught, experimenting and learning as they go. But wherever man has gone, his art has followed. In fact, with a sharp knowledge of science and artistic skills, an artist can forge ahead and take us to places we won’t be for many years to come. In fact, good artwork and inspire us to go further, reach higher and accomplish more than we ever thought possible. I felt, in a very personal way, the enormous contrast between the airless environment in space and on the moon verus the rich colorful organic Earth. I look forward to painting more Earthly subjects again. And I will never take our planet, and the life on it, quite so much for granted either. People will return to the moon someday, if not us, the Chinese will I am sure. Mankind will visit and live on Mars and perhaps go to other parts of the Solar System and beyond in the centuries to come. As for me, I’ll be doing more space art in the future, but I intend to not just look backward but to go forward and set my sights on new distant horizons on distant worlds that I honestly believe people will one day explore and live. Perhaps I can share some of those visions with you, say, in 2019? Postscript: It was interesting that after I gave my presentation, many people came up to me to share their experiences of 40 years ago. Many were friends, clients, and strangers I'd like to know better. One gentleman showed me an actual Apollo 11 flight manual that was printed out and made available at the time of the Apollo mission. Others told me of their involvements in the space program. It was a fascinating evening. After speaking for about an hour, the guests (which numbered about 50) mixed and talked and examined the artwork for about another hour before the library was closed up for the night. It was a truly enjoyable experience for me and I hope for all those present. I also learned that evening of my brief spot of fame in the Cosmic Log by Alan Boyle, MSNBC's science editor. For a very short period of time, we were front page at MSNBC.com, but fame is fleeting and it didn't take long for news to become old and in less than an hour we had been replaced with newer stories. Afterwards, I received several e-mails from people including distant relatives who worked for NASA in the 1960's. The whole experience was a fun ride and I hope to be able to do something even more spectacular for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing in 2019. See you there! ...But do keep checking back here at my blog and my website and I'll try to keep it interesting!

5. APOLLO 11 - 40 YEARS A MEMORY: Art Show Presentation & Reception a Success

2009-07-21T00:09:00.018-04:00

Last night's presentation and reception at my art show was a complete success with a packed gallery of people who were willing to listen to me talk for an hour and then stayed for the next hour viewing the photographs and paintings and sharing their experiences of the first moon landing. Many fascinating stories were exchanged. It was truly a wonderful and special night with friends and many interesting people I wish I could know better.

It became even more amazing when I was contacted yesterday afternoon by Alan Boyle, MSNBC's science editor and host of MSNBC's Cosmic Log. Apparently, my short story of my experience in 1969 and the photo of my family placed me in front of 1400 other entries, winning me a prize and putting that family photo on the front page of MSNBC.com and in the Cosmic Log. This was an unexpected surprise and I am truly honored, not only by Mr. Boyle, but also by each and every one of you who appeared last night, visited my art show or gave a hand of support in all my efforts over the years. To all of you I want to say "Thank You." For those who couldn't attend, the exhibition will continue through July 27th at The Gallery Space. I plan to post a summary of my comments on my blog and website soon and at the show's conclusion, I will post all the paintings and photographs as well. Please check the blog for August 10, 2009. Above Image: Taking a Closer Look, 18 x 24, oil/gessoboard. Click on painting to enlarge.

4. APOLLO 11 - 40 YEARS A MEMORY

2009-07-04T12:24:00.009-04:00

My art show was hung this week and is now on display at the Gallery Space at the Monroeville, Pennsylvania Public Library (located just east of Pittsburgh). The image at right is one painting from the exhibit, The First Step, 30 x 48, oil/canvas (click on the picture for a larger image). Here is the Art Exhibit Price List and the Artist Biography and I am including a copy of the official Art Show Poster. More images from the show will be presented here in the weeks to come. Please see the blog of August 10, 2009.

Please note that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of artwork will benefit the Friends of the Monroeville Public Library who sponsor many worthwhile educational events and shows at The Gallery Space, including this one. Remember too that the exhibit runs July 4 - 25. A combined reception and presentation will be held at the Gallery Space on Monday, July 20, 2009 7:00-8:30pm and is free and open to the public. I will speak on my personal observations and reflections on the first manned moon landing and comparisons of what we knew about the Apollo missions then and what has been uncovered 40 years later. I will also discuss the photographs and artwork in the exhibition. Light refreshments will be served. I was recently contacted by Dr. Jeff Goldstein, Center Director of the National Center for Earth and Space Science Education. He is offering the public the opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Apollo 11 by reading moving and poignant comments from those that lived through it, and sharing your own memories at an Apollo 11 Special Post at Blog on the Universe. The Post includes extensive resources to help you share stories with family and friends, and how to follow the mission-in real time-as it happened 40 years ago through a JFK Presidential Library online Sim. My thanks to Dr. Goldstein and here's wishing you a happy Independence Day and may we all enjoy a smooth and pleasant return to the moon this month!

3. New Art Show Coming in July

2009-06-15T23:13:00.010-04:00

I have been a professional artist for over 16 years and an attorney for over 25 years. But for 50 years I have been a die-hard space enthusiast, closely following the activities of NASA and the various space programs of the world.

Here's a picture of me (holding the dog and sitting behind my brother) and most of my family around the television set on the evening of July 20, 1969, watching people walking on the moon for the very first time. Pictured is my brother, William, my sister, Linda and my mother Alice Fay Bickers. Taking the picture was my father, Robert, Sr. As the news coverage continued on into the night, we threw a mattress on the floor a in front of the TV and stayed up most of the night. How many historical events on TV were so important that you had your picture taken next to the set? Well, I had to do something to commemorate the passing of 40 years since that exciting and fateful night. And here it is:

The Gallery Space, sponsored by the Friends of the Monroeville Library, presents APOLLO 11 - 40 YEARS A MEMORY, an art exhibit by Bob Bickers featuring oil paintings and photographs chronicling and celebrating the mission of Apollo 11, when Neil Armstrong first set foot upon the moon 40 years ago on July 20, 1969. The exhibit runs July 4 - 25. A combined reception and presentation by the artist will be held at the Gallery Space on Monday, July 20, 2009 7:00-8:30pm and is free and open to the public. Bob Bickers will speak on his personal observations and reflections on the first manned moon landing and comparisons of what we knew about the Apollo missions then and what has been uncovered 40 years later. The Gallery Space is located at the Monroeville Public Library, 4000 Gateway Campus Blvd., Monroeville, Pennsylvania. Library hours are Monday-Thursday 9am-9pm; Friday & Saturday 9am-5pm. More on this show will be posted soon! Please see the post of August 10, 2009.

2. A Belated Rose for Mom for Mother's Day

2009-05-28T00:04:00.004-04:00

This photograph is of a rose from my mother's own garden in Memphis, Tennessee, taken in the early morning sun. The colors were so brilliant, they seemed to emit a light of their own. Sometimes I find colors in nature, whether in a flower or a sunset, that are not only difficult to reproduce, but are so extraordinary that if I did manage to faithfully copy them, they wouldn't seem natural. My mother seems to have a knack for growing such wonders of nature. Here's to you, Mom, and I hope you'll always keep growing those fantastic roses!

1. Brad Bickers becomes an Eagle Scout

2009-04-30T23:46:00.005-04:00

I want to begin my first blog with a salute to my 18-year-old son, Jonathan Bradley Bickers, who marked his transition to adulthood with the extraordinary attainment of the rank of Eagle Scout. Brad's ceremony took place on April 18, 2009. My thanks to the Boy Scouts of America and to the leaders of Troop 27 in Bartlett, Tennessee for their role in helping Brad reach this goal. I became an Eagle Scout myself 35 years ago and fully appreciate what an accomplishment this represents. In fact, while approximately 20% of boys in America will be involved in Scouting at some time in their lives, only 5% or less of Boy Scouts ever become Eagle Scouts. Congratulations Brad. You are a fine, industrious young man with a wonderful future. I could not be more proud of you.