Frederick William House

March 26, 1928 - April 4, 2015

 

 

            Frederick William (Bill) House was a lifetime Detroit area resident, spending the last forty five years of his life in Grosse Pointe. His early years were spent in Lincoln Park where he was born. It was there in grade school that teacher, Mrs. Kute, first recognized his glimmering artistic talent. By sheer chance Mrs. Kute also taught Bill in high school and again encouraged his artistic endeavors and spoke to his parents about his skills. Parallel to his graphic talents, Bill developed reed instrument musical skills by mastering the clarinet and saxophone. It was those skills that served him well while playing in the Artie Shaw U.S. Navy band just after World War II.

 

            Returning home from the Navy and convinced that art was to be his life, Bill enrolled in the Society of the Arts Crafts (now CSS) as a fine arts major. After graduation (1952) Bill found that he had a portfolio of wonderful work, but no way to make a living in the near term. So, he took a position at Henning and Cheadle Advertising Company. Beginning at the bottom, Bill’s first assignment was keylining, the gluing down of type and illustrations on posterboard in printers. Soon he graduated to doing illustrations, all the while painting his own fine art’s projects on the side.

 

            Bill’s next stop was a stint as an architectural illustrator which led to a position with General Motors as a designer of building interiors. After a full 18 year career with General Motors, Bill was teaching at Macomb College when the Center for Creative Studies asked him to return to his roots and teach, first Industrial Design, then Interior Design, and soon he became head of the departments. He ended his active career at CCS as Professor Emeritus.

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            Throughout his professional working life, Bill always exercised his fine art painting skills and amassed a body of work now on display in homes, galleries and places of business around the world. Bill always painted for his own satisfaction and traveled far and wide seeking inspiration for each of his works. His clear, direct, representational style has resonated well with art buyers where his works have found great favor.

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