| ARTIST BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH: | Bill Brownridge was born during the Great Depression in Rose Town and grew up in Vawn, Saskatchewan. He was born with spina bifida and club feet, and after a childhood spent in and out of the hospital, his right leg was amputated below the knee at age fifteen so that he could have more mobility with an artificial limb. Hockey was the heart of his small town, and Brownridge played wearing moccasins rather than skates and spent many hours watching his older brothers play. Brownridge credits these experiences, and the time spent drawing and reading when he was unable to walk, as the root of his career as an artist.
Brownridge attended Calgary’s Provincial Institute of Technology and Art (later to become the Alberta College of Art and Design) where he earned a diploma in advertising art in 1957. He developed a successful career as a graphic artist, commercial illustrator and advertising executive. His commissioned works include a set of serigraphs depicting the sporting events of the winter games for the Calgary Olympic Development Association that were used in the city’s winning bid for the 1988 Olympics and a uniform design for the Calgary Flames Hockey Team in 1993. In 1995, he published his first of several children’s books, The Moccasin Goalie, which went on to become a best seller. Brownridge and his wife raised five children while living and working in Calgary. His paintings and drawings have been exhibited across Canada in group and solo exhibitions, and his work is represented in public and private collections, including the personal collections of many NHL coaches and players. Brownridge now lives on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia.
Compiled 2014 |