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 WILLIAM SCAHILL (BILL) PURDOM was born in Charleston, West Virginia and grew up in Wyoming, Ohio. By age 9 his artwork was attracting local attention. After Wyoming High School came Auburn University. He graduated in 1975 with a degree in visual design. The next 19 years were spent working and living in New York City. He started working at the Whistl`n Dixie Studio where his art for Bloomingdales gained him international acclaim. This notoriety allowed him to become self-employed. Used by every major advertising agency in New York, Bill has also illustrated billboards, movie posters, album covers and worked on national campaigns for Mercedes Benz, Nikon, Panasonic, American Express, and the three major television networks. He was the first artist allowed by Steven Spielberg to paint the character “E.T.” (in a national campaign for McDonald’s). While living in New York he was a major contributor to The New York Times and his work appeared in many magazines, among them Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Fortune, Time, Esquire, Sport, and National Lampoon. While living in the city, Bill was on the Board of Directors of the American Museum of Illustration and the Society of Illustrators. After 12 years of award winning advertising and editorial illustration, Bill switched to the fine arts field. Since 1989 he has painted to date 97 great moments in baseball, including 10 first pitch paintings of the various new ballparks that have opened around the country. His baseball lithographs have been seen on the hit television shows “Seinfeld”, “Arliss”, “Eight Simple Rules” and “Everybody Loves Raymond”. His originals hang in private collections worldwide and lithographs of all 97 of his paintings are part of the permanent collection of the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bill has also done lithographs for the NBA, NFL, NHL, NCAA, and (thoroughbreds for) the Saratoga Raceway. Bill is the most prolific artist in the history of the Topps Co., Inc. To date he has painted 340 baseball, football, and basketball cards with projects scheduled for the next several years. Bill is the only artist who has been officially licensed by Dale Earnhardt, Inc. to commemorate the racing legend. On QVC, when presented on air, his eighty card set telling the life story of Dale Earnhardt sold 18,000 units in 15 minutes. His stein celebrating the life of Dale Earnhardt completely sold out, as did his framed lithograph of the great driver, which sold 54,000 units in 24 hours. Due to Bill’s uncanny ability to capture likenesses, his portraits are highly sought and in great demand. Bill was a technical advisor for Billy Crystal’s Mantle and Maris movie “61.*” On April 15, 2004, Major League Baseball, in an unprecedented combination of art appreciation and heritage celebration handed out 250,000 copies of Bill’s painting of Jackie Robinson’s first at bat to lucky fans in Major League ballparks across America. In 2005 the World Champion Boston Red Sox selected Bill to paint and market a limited edition lithograph that is the definitive visual statement of their miraculous season. Similar projects ensued with the 2005 World Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the Baltimore Colts 1958 World Champions’ 50th Reunion. In 2006 The Cincinnati Reds and National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum both chose Bill to create ongoing fine art lithograph programs celebrating their respective classic moments. The families of Babe Ruth and Josh Gibson picked Bill to paint their legendary ancestors. That painting is prominently displayed in the Nationals new ballpark in Washington, D.C. In 2008 Bill created art to celebrate the 50th anniversary celebrations for both the Reds Hall of Fame and the San Francisco Giants. In 2008 every Reds ticket featured a painting by Bill, the first time in history that every game day ticket has utilized fine art. Bill is the latest artist to be chosen by the U.S. Department of State to have his work hung in U.S. Embassies around the world. Bill resides in Wilmington, North Carolina with his wife and son.
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