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I was born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, March 8 (International Women's Day), 1928, the same day as Mickey Mouse and Shirley Temple. In the late 1960s I illustrated five children's books: Classic Press - Pinocchio, Arabian Nights, The Jungle Book, Paul Bunyan, and The Prince and The Pauper. These books were widely merchandised and the entire set of twelve sold 13 million copies. I made just enough to squeak by. Now with the yellowing pages they are occasionally on sale in used book stores. I also had pen drawings in national magazines: The Nation, The Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, Writer's Digest, Medical Economics, Johns Hopkins Magazine, Road and Track, Gourmet, etc. For most of my life, carpentry was my livelihood. In many ways I preferred it to my hermit life of doing commercial illustration. I enjoyed working outdoors, building interesting houses, and the lifelong friendships I made with the other guys on the job. . For the past 8 years, I have been a student at the esteemed College of Marin. I have taken courses in oil, acrylic, pastel painting and pen, charcoal and graphite drawing classes under the inspiring tutelage of Chester Arnold, Jack Scott, Marianna Goodheart, and numerous other teachers. -Bill Dempster |
