Landscape by Bill Olendorf (1924-1996) suffers from exposure to saltwater as well as warping. This is the first work in what will be a very large job, and we are very thankful for the opportunity to work intimately with an artist’s collection in order to secure its legacy, as well as showcase the variety in medium and subject matter that come to define an evolving artist. Stay tuned for more . . .

Born in Deerfield, Illinois, William Olendorf showed an inclination for painting in high school, a pursuit which he continued during his years at Harvard and Washington & Lee University. During the WWII era, Olendorf served in the U.S. Navy, and then joined the ad industry at Leo Burnett and Foote, Cone & Belding. At age 40 he left the ad industry to focus full time on painting, and utilized his commercial contacts, turning many into commissions, which allowed  him to do two things he loved: travel and paint. His subject matter focused mainly on company headquarters, skylines, and cityscapes all over the world.

Olendorf’s works can be found in many personal collections of notable people: former presidents Bush, Reagan, Nixon, Ford and Clinton, as well as Henry Kissinger, Anwar Sadat, Fidel Castro, Jack Lynch and president Mubarak of Egypt. As a neo-impressionist, Oledndorf is recognized for his colorful paintings as well as his distinctive black and white sketches done in a straightforward and identifiable style.