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Henry Villierme

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Henry Villierme (1928 - 2013) was active/lived in California / Tahiti.  Henry Villierme is known for Figurative and landscape painting.

Biography photo for Henry Villierme
 Described as a kind of Rip Van Winkle of the art world, Henry Villierme was an active part of the Bay Area Figurative Movement with Richard Diebenkorn and David Park in the 1960s and then disappeared from the art scene. In the late 1990s, he re-surfaced having been found by an art dealer living in Ojai, CA. He was on the verge of retiring from a non-art related job and was taking up painting again, referring to this period in his life as the "whipped cream on top."

Villierme was born in California but returned to his father's family in Tahiti when his mother died when he was age three. His father remarried when the young man was eleven, and the family reunited in California. His stepmother recognized his art talent and sent him to art school.

After serving in the Korean War, he used his GI Bill money to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts where he earned a fine arts degree. He credits Richard Diebenkorn as being his biggest influence relative to opening the   ...  [Displaying 1000 of 3181 characters.]  Artist bio

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Facts about Henry Villierme

   Henry Villierme  Born:  1928 - California
Died:   2013
Known for:  Figurative and landscape painting

Biography from the Archives of askART

Described as a kind of Rip Van Winkle of the art world, Henry Villierme was an active part of the Bay Area Figurative Movement with Richard Diebenkorn and David Park in the 1960s and then disappeared from the art scene. In the late 1990s, he re-surfaced having been found by an art dealer living in Ojai, CA. He was on the verge of retiring from a non-art related job and was taking up painting again, referring to this period in his life as the "whipped cream on top."

Villierme was born in California but returned to his father's family in Tahiti when his mother died when he was age three. His father remarried when the young man was eleven, and the family reunited in California. His stepmother recognized his art talent and sent him to art school.

After serving in the Korean War, he used his GI Bill money to attend the California College of Arts and Crafts where he earned a fine arts degree. He credits Richard Diebenkorn as being his biggest influence relative to opening the door to just go and paint.

He received much recognition, but domestic responsibilities took him to manual labor jobs with regular income and to Southern California. In the 1980s, he and his family moved to Ojai where he was a maintenance worker at a private school.

Source:
Southwest Art, April 2002


Biography from William A. Karges Fine Art - Carmel

Following is the obituary of Henry Villierme from the Ted Mayr Funeral Home in Ventura, California.

Henry Villierme was born in 1928, the son of Louis Henry and Emilia Villierme. Henry and his two younger brothers were born in San Francisco. Shortly after Emilia passed, the three boys moved to Tahiti and were raised by their aunt. The three brothers moved back to the Bay Area when Henry was in middle school. One of his lasting memories was when the boys returned to San Francisco on a steam ship and saw the Golden Gate Bridge and the lights of San Francisco.

Henry served his country with honor during the Korean War as a medic on the front line and was awarded the Bronze Star by the United States Army in 1951.

Henry moved to Oakland, CA and attended the California College of Arts & Crafts where he met his classmate, Barbara Albers in 1953. They married a year later and were a devoted couple of 58 years. In their time in Oakland, Henry and Barbara owned and operated an ice cream parlor called "Farrin Frosty." In the late '50s, they moved to Hermosa Beach and never left Southern California. In 1973, they bought their home in Ojai where they raised their children, Frank, Julianne, Paul and Claudia as well as a number of cats and dogs. Henry worked as a painter at The Thatcher School until he retired at the age of 70. He loved the campus and the energy of the school.

Most people who knew Henry called him "Hank." He loved his wife and his family. He found happiness in the garden and worked at being a better painter in his studio. Hank treated others with respect, even in his failing health he would never lift his fork until everyone at the table was served. He spoke French since his days in Tahiti and was a charming and humble man.

Henry Villierme passed on March 13, 2013 and is dearly missed.


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