ABOUT BOB FERGISON:Educated in Portland, Oregon, at Reed College and Lewis & Clark College, where he earned a degree in literature in 1959; studied sculpture with Manuel Izquierdo, attended Museum Art School (now Pacific Northwest College of Art), in Portland.

Subsequent career included 30 years in corporate marketing, communications and graphics design. Professional highlights: Eight years with Omark Industries first as product promotion manager, then as Manager for Communications and Worldwide Marketing Planning. Executive Editor of Crow's Weekly Letter; Director of Communications for Western Wood Products Association; and developer of Conifer Graphics Software for
forest products managers. Taught graphics design and copywriting at Portland State University.

Currently residing in Enterprise, Oregon.

Past President of Eastern Oregon Regional Arts Council; former chair of Wallowa Valley Arts Council; currently serves on advisory board of the Enterprise Hometown Improvement Group.

ABOUT THE MEDIUM:

In 1949, Parisian painter Henri Goetz approached Henri Sennelier, the famous artist materials manufacturer, about creating a wax color stick for his friend Pablo Picasso. Picasso, a long time Sennelier customer and frequent visitor to their store across the street from the Louvre Museum was looking for a medium that could be used freely on a variety of surfaces without fading or cracking. Their collaboration produced the incomparable Sennelier oil pastels. All Fergison works are drawn on acid-free paper , using these superb pastels.

(OMED: It is true that in the trade, these are not known as "paintings."  We don't care.  They're the best paintings we've seen in years.)

About Bob Fergison text and illustrations(C) 2002  Bob Fergison