“We were born before the wind,
Also younger than the sun
Ere the bonnie boat was won
As we sailed into the mystic”…
These lyrics spin on the soft sound of a vinyl, chosen by Bill Jean Kretschman, local artist and member of San Tan Artist Guild, as her collections soundtrack. When asked what would be played in the background of her creations, Van Morison’s: “Into the Mystic”, swiftly came to mind to the artist.
A fitting track, Billie Jean reminisces of the detail and precision found in her artwork passed down inherently from a bloodline of photographers, handymen and woodworkers, tracing back as far as her great grandfather photographing soldiers of the war and turning them into post cards for the service members.
These details sway to the rhythmic hum of those familiar lyrics chosen by Kretchsman,
…”yeah, when that foghorn blows,
I will be coming home”…
The majority of Billie’s inspiration has been drawn from her own ventures and primarily from nature. A native to Michigan, Kretschman found her own way through the pacific northwestern areas of the United States until she went westward and ended up residing in sunny Phoenix, Arizona. Taking a variety of technical art classes offered at local community centers and colleges, Billie’s dedication to perfecting her craft shines through without second thought. Billie has a way of capturing even the most minute of details – paralleling her early start in photography.
Van Morison's last line of, “Into the Mystic”, is a perfect reflection of Billie Jean and her capacity for artistic evolution: “too late to stop now”, rings in the background as I ask her what her plans are for 2025. Billie Jean tells of how she will be looking forward to RV travels across the nation, but plans to bring back a slew of photos to draw inspiration from for her next series of paintings.
Find Billie Jean’s work at the Chandler Gilbert Communiversity alongside a display with the San Tan Valley Artist Guide.