Thomson, Bill 1963–

Personal

Born February 28, 1963, in Waterbury, CT; son of Bill and Ellie Thomson; married; wife's name Diann; children: Billy, Nik, Ethan. Education: Syracuse University, B.F.A. (illustration; cum laude), 1985. Hobbies and other interests: Running, hiking, sports, watching movies, collecting vintage comic art/comics, rooting for the Chicago Bears.

Addresses

Home—Southington, CT. E-mail—bill@billthomson.com.

Career

Illustrator. Thomson Illustration and Design, Southington, CT, principal and illustrator, beginning 1983; Tunxis Community College, Farmington, CT, adjunct faculty, 1993-99; University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT, assistant professor, 2000-06, associate professor of illustration, beginning 2006. Syracuse University, visiting artist, 1994, 2003. Exhibitions: Work included in solo and group exhibitions, including at Society of Illustrators Member's Gallery, New York, NY; J. Whitney Gallery, Southington, CT; Society of Illustrators, New York, NY; First Experience Gallery, Glastonbury, CT; and Joseloff Gallery, Hartford, CT.

Member

Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Illustrators Partnership of America, Society of Illustrators, Graphic Artists Guild, Connecticut Art Directors Club (former member of board), Los Angeles Society of Illustrators.

Awards, Honors

Best of Show, and First Place/Student award, International Graphics Competition, 1983; Gold Award, 1985, 2005, Silver Award, 2001, and multiple Excellence honors, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, all from Connecticut Art Directors Club Awards; Award of Merit, Society of Illustrators Los Angeles (SIILA) Illustration West annual competition, 1992, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007; Gold Coin Award, Bank Marketing Association, 1997; Excellence Award, Communication Arts, 2000, 2003, 2005; Best in Oils/Acrylics Award, NBMA competition, 2002; Gold Award, SILA Illustration West annual competition, 2005; Connecticut Book Awards finalist for children's illustration, 2005, 2007.

Illustrator

Carol Nevius, Karate Hour, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2004.

Carol Nevius, Building with Dad, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2006.

Carol Nevius, Baseball Hour, Marshall Cavendish (New York, NY), 2008.

Sidelights

Bill Thomson told SATA: "After creating advertising and magazine illustrations for nearly twenty years, Marshall Cavendish gave me the opportunity to illustrate my first children's book in 2003. I quickly discovered that illustrating books for children was the most creative and enjoyable experience of my career. I love ev- erything about children's books and cherish the privilege of entertaining and informing children through my artwork and visual storytelling."

Biographical and Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Booklist, September 1, 2004, Ilene Cooper, review of Karate Hour, p. 114; September 1, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review of Building with Dad, p. 138.

Children's Bookwatch, November, 2006, review of Building with Dad.

Kirkus Reviews, August 15, 2004, review of Karate Hour, p. 810; August 1, 2006, review of Building with Dad, p. 793.

Publishers Weekly, October 9, 2006, review of Building with Dad, p. 55.

School Library Journal, December, 2004, Grace Oliff, review of Karate Hour, p. 114; October, 2006, Judith Constantinides, review of Building with Dad, p. 120.

ONLINE

Bill Thomson Home Page,http://www.billthomson.com (February 15, 2008).