The Phippen Museum's Annual Western Art Show and Sale, held at Prescott's historic downtown square Memorial Day weekend, has long been a favorite outdoor show for local art lovers and collectors.  One of the artists featured at this year's event is Bill Cramer, a Prescott artist whose oil on panel Southwestern landscapes are starting to get a lot of attention.

What mediums to you work in?

Primarily oils paints, I do some sketching with various materials. Mostly oil paintings on panel.

What inspires you to choose a particular subject?

Right now I'm most inspired by the Southwest landscape. I've been a rock climber and backpacker all my life and I've loved exploring Southwest areas. I've got lots of photos and memories from all of that so I just bring it in to the studio and get to work.

View more examples of Bill Cramer's paintings at his blog.

What famous artists have influenced you?

Mainly I would say the artists of the California impressionist school, Edgar Payne, Frans Bischoff, guys like that have been the main influence... I love the way they paint.  Large brushstrokes, real loose. That kind of work impressionist in a sense but not like the French impressionists.

What is your biggest challenge as an artist when creating your work?

Finding the time to work, I'm a stay at home dad with two daughters. I'm very busy around here. I work a la prima which means I start and finish the painting in one setting. So the challenge is to fit it in the time that I have because when I stop its done.

Everything you see, even my largest panels up to 30" by 40", I do in one sitting, one long day, whatever it takes. So that's the biggest challenge... trying to fit it into the time I have. Its pretty fun to do that kind of work. Its exciting, its unpredictable. colors just sort of show up that you don't expect. You almost mix as much color on the panel as you do on your palette.

What advice would you give to a young artist just starting out?

Learn all you can, study other artists that you like and even ones thats you don't like.  You can learn something from everybody. If you are a painter, paint as often as you can. You're going to make mistakes and that's a good thing. Just learn from everything and keep working and don't be afraid to put it out there.

What was the favorite reaction that anyone has ever had to your work?

I like it when people notice the little things that artists notice but not everybody does. The little color changes and things like that. I like the small comments. Its fun to hear people just go "Wow." That's always great too. Sometimes I like to engage people in discussions about the little things on there that not everybody notices. I remember more when people notice the little things rather than the big effect.

Bill Cramer will be exhibiting his paintings at the Phippen Western Art Show and Sale, Memorial day weekend (Saturday to Monday, May 24, 25 & 26), and will participate in the Quick Draw event on Sunday, May 25th at 2:00 pm.

Click here for more information about this event.

His painting Far Summits has also been accepted to the St. George Art Museum's "Zion National Park: A Century of Sanctuary" show this August.