Bill Vrscak is a free-lance artist/illustrator and signature member of the American Watercolor Society. He is a realist painter whose work reflects a strong sense of freshness and simplicity, consistent with his attitude that “the simplest statements make the most impact”.
A frequent national award winner, his work is widely published. Bill studied painting and design at the Ivy School of Art in Pittsburgh. After 18 years in the advertising business he went his own way to paint and teach. Besides doing illustration and commission work, he currently teaches workshops and seminars throughout the United States as well as Canada.
Professional Affiliations
American Watercolor Society
Pittsburgh Society of Illustrators
Pittsburgh Watercolor Society
Associated Artists of Pittsburgh
Juried Exhibitions and Awards include
The Artist’s Magazine Annual Competition
First Place Award 2017
American Watercolor Society, NYC
Watercolor Artist’s Magazine Award
Clara and Ida Stroud Memorial
AwardAudubon Artists National Exhibition, NYC
Silver Medal
Rocky Mountain National Watermedia Exhibit
Grumbacher Award
Adirondaks Exhibition of American Watercolors, Old Forge, NY
Silver Medal Award 2016
Sadie and Max Tesser Award
Garnet Award
Juror’s Award
Arthur E. Baker Award
Pennsylvania Watercolor Society National
Gold Medal Award 2016
Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society International
First Place Award 2019
Forth Place Award 2016
Transparent Watercolor Society of America, Kenosha, WI
2017 Greensburg Invitational
Signature American Watercolor Exhibition, Fallbrook, CA
Juror’s Award
Midwest Watercolor Society, Green Bay, WI
Special Merit Award
Kentucky Aqueous, Louisville, KY
Reliance Universal Merit Award
Mike Heuman Purchase Award
Pittsburgh Watercolor Society Aqueous Annual
Best of Show
Frank Webb Award
PWS Awards
Winner: Treasures of Pittsburgh Outdoor Board Competition
Watercolor Without Bounderies Exhibition
Southwestern Watercolor Society, Dallas, TX
Northern Italian Watercolor Society, Milan, Italy
IMPRESSIONS: Three Rivers, Four Seasons Competition, Pittsburgh, PA
Keystone National Works on Paper, Scranton, PA
Commercial Illustration Clients include
Carnegie Museum of Art
Ketchum Communications
WQED-FM Pittsburgh Public Broadcasting
AEG Westinghouse/Adtranz
Rockwell International
Ford Motor Company, Dearborn, MI
Pittsburgh Jazz Festival
Mellon Bank Corporation
Federal Express Corporation
Pittsburgh Magazine
Pittsburgh Parks Conservancy
Chute Gerdeman Retail Design
Oncology Nursing Society
Conducted workshops, seminars and classes for
Pittsburgh Center for the Arts
James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA
Community College of Allegheny County
Hudson River Valley Workshops, Greenville, NY
Jade Fon Workshops, Monterey, CA
Coastal Maine Art Workshops, Port Clyde/Rockland, ME
Central Ontario Art Association, Ontario, CANADA
Touchstone Center for Crafts, Farmington, PA
Southwestern Watercolor Society, Dallas, TX
Sangamon Watercolor Society, Springfield, IL
Niagara Frontier Watercolor Society, Buffalo, NY
Society of Watercolor Artists, Ft. Worth, TX
St. Croix Watercolor Society, St. Croix, VI
Sweetwater Arts Center, Sewickley, PA
Hillsdale County Arts Guild, Hillsdale, MI
Numerous Arts Groups in the Mid-Atlantic region
Numerous Solo and Invited Exhibitions include
Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA
LaRoche College, Pittsburgh, PA
Davis and Elkins University, Elkins, WV
Water Street Gallery, Saugatuck, MI
Watercolors Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
Birchstone Gallery, Egg Harbor, WI
Renaissance Gallery, Pittsburgh, PA
St. Vincent University, Latrobe, P