© 2003-2009 by Bob Bickers

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Born February 16, 1956 in Knoxville, Tennessee, Robert Vandergriff (Bob) Bickers, Jr. was raised in Memphis where he developed an interest in art at an early age. Bob won student art awards for his drawings in junior high school and turned his interest to photography where he took and developed his own pictures, but much of his artwork was set aside after graduating from high school in 1974.

Working his way through college, Bob formed his own professional photography business. He took wedding photos, drafted surveys, designed logos, and worked as an insurance adjuster for six years while attending law school at night.

It was while Bob was working as an attorney in 1984 that he became inspired by the enthusiasm of television artist Bill Alexander to return to art and take up oil painting. He took several continuing adult education courses at Memphis State University on art, air brushing and portrait oil painting, and found himself to be a fast study. With practice and fine attention to the techniques of other painters he admired, Bob started to exhibit his works at local galleries and won numerous awards for his pen and ink, gouache, acrylic, alkyd and oil paintings at local and regional art contests in the Memphis area, including the Coalition for Visual Arts and the Memphis and Shelby County Mid-South Fair.    

Working in Acrylic, Alkyd and Oil, Bob developed a life-long interest in landscapes and portraits. Other paintings reflected his varied interests including ancient American Indian artifacts and pottery as still lifes, aircraft, astronomy and paintings of manned and unmanned spacecraft from the American and Russian space programs. While a Claims Attorney for Nationwide Insurance, Bob met the company president who commissioned Bob to create an oil painting of an eagle's nest. A limited series of prints were made from that painting and a number of them were framed and issued to Nationwide's top adjusters that year as an award. Bob also created several logos for several regions and departments in the company.

In 1992 Bob relocated to Murrysville, Pennsylvania. He began competing and winning recognition in local art shows. His work has been seen at many public forums including the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley, the Westmoreland Museaum of American Art, the Gallery Space at the Monroeville Public Library, Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville, the Greensburg Garden and Civic Center, the Donohoe Center and the Murrysville Municipal Building. Now his art includes rural and urban scenes of Western Pennsylvania as well as images from his varied travels across this and other regions of America. Bob is an active member of the East Suburban Artists League and often exhibits his paintings and photographs in their shows.  Bob is also a member of the Pittsburgh Society of Artists (PSA).

    Bob considers the works of Howard Terpning, Richard Schmid, Clyde Aspevig, Cyrus Afsary and Wilson Hurley (another attorney turned professional artist) as his major influences. Most of his work is now created in oil or alkyd on canvas or by digital photography. Today Bob works with his wife and law partner, Diane Landis Bickers, in the Murrysville law firm of Bickers & Bickers and he continues to paint from his home studio in Murrysville, exhibiting in local and regional art shows. Bob is also available for commissions.

FIRST PLACE - oils/acrylics: 2006 MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY DAY ART SHOW: Sponsored by the Womens Club of Murrysville at the Murrysville Municipal Building August 27th and 28th, 2006. Westmoreland Harvest, oil/canvas.

JUDGES’ AWARD - oil: 2008 EAST SUBURBAN ARTIST LEAGUE'S ANNUAL MEMBERS CCAC BOYCE ART SHOW & SALE, Monroeville, PA, September, 2008; Autumn Fire, oil/canvas.

BLUE RIBBON JUDGES' AWARD: PENN HILLS ART FESTIVAL, Penn Hills, PA, July, 2005; Afternoon in August, oil/canvas.

FIRST PLACE - experienced: 2004 EAST SUBURBAN ARTIST LEAGUE'S ANNUAL MEMBERS CCAC BOYCE ART SHOW & SALE, Monroeville, PA, September, 2004; House on the Horizon, photograph.

JUROR'S BLUE RIBBON AWARD - oil: 1997 MURRYSVILLE COMMUNITY DAY ART SHOW: Sponsored by the Womens Club of Murrysville at the Murrysville Municipal Building, Murrysville, PA, June, 1997; Hopewell Funeral Urn, oil/canvas.

FIRST PLACE - oil; Coalition for Visual Arts, City Hall Exhibition, Memphis, TN; The Little Artist, oil/canvas; May, 1991

FIRST PLACE - oil: EAST SUBURBAN ARTISTS LEAGUE OKTOBERFEST, Monroeville, PA, October, 1996; Near Moab, oil/canvas.

HONORABLE MENTION - oil: 2005 EAST SUBURBAN ARTIST LEAGUE'S ANNUAL MEMBERS CCAC BOYCE ART SHOW & SALE, Monroeville, PA, September, 2005; Afternoon in August, oil/canvas.

FINALIST; Great American Pyramid Logo Contest, Memphis TN; [When the new 22,000 seat sport and convention facility sponsored a logo contest, over 500 entries were submitted. Was among the top 50 that were selected and recognized] 1991

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Favorite Overall Artist - All Categories; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; The Little Artist, oil/canvas; September, 1990

FIRST PLACE  - oil; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; The Little Artist, oil/canvas; September, 1990

FIRST PLACE  - oil; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Self-Portrait in Blue Shirt, oil/canvas; September 1989

HONORABLE MENTION - oil; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Dragonflies, oil/canvas; September, 1990

HONORABLE MENTION - oil; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Ancient Palette, oil/canvas; September, 1989

PEOPLE'S CHOICE AWARD - Favorite Overall Artist - All Categories; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Where the Spirits Dwell, oil/canvas; West Rim Trail, gouache/board; September, 1988

FIRST PLACE - watercolor; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; West Rim Trail, gouache/board; September 1988

THIRD PLACE - Pen & Ink; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Challenger on the Moon - Apollo 17, pen & ink/board; September 1986

HONORABLE MENTION - oil; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Country Days, oil/canvas; September, 1985

SECOND PLACE - Woodcarving; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Carolina Chickadee, carved wood sculpture; September 1984

FIRST PLACE - Pen & Ink; Mid-South Fair, Memphis, TN; Mississippi Dredge, pen & ink/board; September 1984

(Left) Bob Bickers visiting the north rim of the Grand Canyon in July, 2004.

(Right) Bob Bickers at the Grand Canyon, perhaps a little too close to the edge, July, 2004.

Photos by Brad Bickers