I was was born in Dallas, Texas and roamed the green hills of east Texas until age twelve. At that time I moved to Tucson to cure my chronic asthma. It worked. I thrived in the desert.
Tucson was a different world for me in every way. First, it was a completely different landscape - totally different plants and animals. Also different people. I grew up on the south side of Tucson near the Tohono O'odham reservation. I had Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Black and Anglo friends. Culture was different too. I was immersed in local Tucson culture which is a mix of Anglo, Spanish and Indian.
Always drawing and painting, I attended the University of Arizona, getting a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a minor in Art History.
Tucson was a different world for me in every way. First, it was a completely different landscape - totally different plants and animals. Also different people. I grew up on the south side of Tucson near the Tohono O'odham reservation. I had Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Black and Anglo friends. Culture was different too. I was immersed in local Tucson culture which is a mix of Anglo, Spanish and Indian.
Always drawing and painting, I attended the University of Arizona, getting a B.F.A. in Studio Art with a minor in Art History.
I have been painting for about 50 years in oils and acrylics, and I have been working in Photoshop for over 25 years. Recently I’ve been doing a lot of illustration work on my iPad with the Procreate app. I exhibited in Fine Art galleries for many years, then moved on to full time commercial illustration. I have done educational illustration for most of the major publishers over the years, including MacMillan, McGraw-Hill, SRA, and many others. In 1998 I started work on the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan - work that would stretch over the next 8 years. I did hundreds of illustrations, report covers, maps, charts, and even created the website.
During this time, I was also commissioned by the National Park Service, the Arizona Department of Transportation, and Pima County, to create 11 signs to go along the historic Anza trail as it winds through Pima County.
In 2007 I painted the 50 foot long mural inside the newly reconstructed Tucson Presidio.
In 2007 I painted the 50 foot long mural inside the newly reconstructed Tucson Presidio.
I recently retired from commercial illustration to work on my own paintings (although I still take commissions if they are interesting). My main inspiration is the world near to me. Desert landscapes, local plants and people and the history of this most interesting place. Lately I’ve been working on my nature journal and teaching the Art and Science classes on Tumamoc Hill. I also teach on my YouTube channel and on Skillshare.
I still live in Tucson, at the northern end of the Sonoran Desert, and have a large garden of native and exotic flora and fauna.
I still live in Tucson, at the northern end of the Sonoran Desert, and have a large garden of native and exotic flora and fauna.
I have more artwork at my website: http://billsingleton.net
and on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/billsinglet0105/boards/
and on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/billsinglet0105/boards/
You can contact me at: singletonstudio@gmail.com
Me, circa 1980
