"I really like the way he takes people where they are. He has such a good eye and understanding of where they are in their development. He finds out what you're excited about and can teach you to be a good artist at anything.

I've learned so much. He's helping me to find my own style just by trying lots of different things. Right now I'm doing oil painting and I'm exploring lots of different artists Matisse, I really love Matisse, and some of the Impressionist. I'm trying out lots of different methods and styles to find out what my own is. And Bill's just wonderful at guiding and listening. He can make an artist out of anybody no matter if you want to do modern, or water colors, or fashion design. He has a lot of young kids doing that.

I've improved so much I've always been an artist, but from Bill have learned how to see and how to take my time and think about it, because art is as much of a mental and intuitive understanding as it is all the technique and stuff."

Cris Soth, Fairfield

"Bill encourages whatever type of artist you are. He’s not afraid to let you create what you feel like creating He's always very encouraging and doesn't try to pin you down to any one particular style or fit you into a preconceived mold.

He's always trying new things, new techniques of teaching. And he knows a lot, too, if you ask him."

Bonnie Allen, Fairfield

"Bill's one of the most remarkable people I know. His philosophy of making an artist out of anyone is true. He's really capable of bringing out the best in every person.

He has a very enlightened view of art and artists and life in general. He's able to bring out the best in you by never discouraging you, by always uplifting you, by always speaking of great delight about your work, and quietly saying a few little points that might improve what you're doing or making it a little more to your satisfaction. He's able to see your best qualities and bring them out and point them out to you in case you're not even aware of them and encourages you to continue on with whatever it is that he feels is a spark of really good art or a really good quality that you should follow up.

He never points out the bad in someone and as a consequence you're made fully aware really of what the whole thing is but he doesn't have to tell you what he doesn't like. By telling you what he does like it silently tells you the whole picture and in a very positive way so your heart's never damaged and he's just a wonderful person.

I feel he's a mover in trying to get the arts alive here in Fairfield. Not only does he care about his students but he cares about art in general. He feels art is one of the paths to enlightenment. it's a way to open up your inner creativity somehow. So he feels it's important and is really in the forefront in getting art on the map here in Fairfield with his studio and gallery and all the attention he's putting on the arts here.

He makes everyone feel like they're the greatest. He makes everyone feel like they're his best student.Everyone loves him for that, because they want to be the best. And he just helps them bring out whatever is the best in them.

I love when he philosophizes about art. He knows the whole scene from the beginning until now. and can speak about the trends in a very enlightened way.He is very holistic in his approach. He’s a wonderful artist himself and I feel like he's even a better teacher.

He welcomes every person and sees the greatness in every person, and that's really an enlightened soul. We're so fortunate."

Fauna White, Fairfield
Won a blue ribbon in the Iowa Regional Art Show last year.

"I think he's absolutely fabulous. My feeling with Bill mostly is that he doesn't have his own agenda other than to bring out in someone whatever is going to be their individual talent. I don't ever feel like I'm having to do something in order to be some idea of art that he has in mind. It's incredibly refreshing, it's incredibly liberating. It's more supportive than anything I had ever known before.

Took some art classes with Lynn Marshall, and that's all I've ever had.

I think he has a great knack for being really honest, a really honest mirror, which I for one really want. I want to know when something's looking like crud.

Yet it's a very encouraging approach. And he is himself is a great artist. You don't always get an artist who is a great teacher or a teacher who is himself a good, accomplished artist.

I actually think that he is going to be the instrumental point value that nature uses in this town for bringing about an established, recognized repuration for art in this town to the surrounding area. I think he has the ingredients to deal with established artists and what their needs are and emerging artists and represent the town in terms of what it would take to actually be successful in art.

I have grown a lot as an artist. And if I could swallow him up and take him into my veins I would.

But as it is family life comes first and this is a delightful periphery on the edge.

Been taking from him about a year."

Stacy Hurlein, Fairfield

"I've been taking classes from him for about a year and a half now. I've improved tremendously. Started out in his class wanting to apply to art schools. So we did a really crash course, really intensive. He keeps pulling all of these thhings out from me. I tell him to be really hard on me and really critique me roughly because that is what the admissions committees do at my art schools. And he's done that really well. And because he's been so hard on me I've become a better artist.

He has great constructive criticism. But at the same time I never leaving his class feeling really let down either. He's very uplifting.

I enjoy his classes because he's willing to work with you. And he goes beyond that. He stayed after class with me for an hour at times. He really goes beyond what I pay him for. He's a really good teacher.

I think right now he's giving back a lot to the community and he's starting all these different art projects with his gallery and with his Wednesday night free studios. I think he really will revive the art in FF, I really hope he will because FF can be pretty dull in that respect."

Sharon Koelblinger, Fairfield
Award-winning artist---and has work on display in D.C.

Copyright © 2007 Bill Teeple. All Rights Reserved.
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