My name is Patricia Bills.

 

Art has always been a part of my life, however, at this time in my life, I'm making it my career. My work background of 26 years has been with the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Ohio Department of Nature Resources, and Forest Service. I have lived in Ohio, Utah, Washington, D.C., Wyoming, and California with my different natural resource jobs.

 

I studied watercolor painting for three years while living in Jackson Hole, WY and studied pottery for five years in Buffalo, WY.  I also worked as a gallery manager in Jackson, Wyoming to get to know artists and their work. Really like attending workshops and learning new art skills and sharing those skills with others.

 

In 1992 my husband and I moved back to Wyoming to stay. We lived in the Greater Yellowstone area until 2001 when we moved to Buffalo, Wyoming.

Our daughter came into our lives in 2002, she is named after the Lamar River in Yellowstone. My family has spent many hours in the Greater Yellowstone, Denali and Katmai National Parks watching wildlife, mostly bears. We have also spent time in the far north of Alaska watching polar bears. My love of bears is depicted on my pottery and paintings. I believe you need to know your subject to really be able to illustrate it. I believe people need to have a connection with nature and I want to help connect them through art.

 

Since June of 2015 I stated my Kids In Nature Painting classes where I teach art outdoors in nature, so that the children are spending time in nature and they are getting to know nature. I also educate them on nature resources. In the fall of 2015 I started Adults In Nature Painting classes. I have taught kids slab clay art at the Potters' Depot for the past four years and  in 2015 started teaching adult slab clay art.

 

All of my pottery is handmade and painted with under glazes or over glazes. They are food, dish washer, and  microwave safe.