ArtTRUST    Bill, Weren't you one of the founders of the
                                  Arkansas Pastel Society?
Burgin   Yes,  It has been most successful in it's first three years.   
  We have even had a national show in 2005 and plan one for 2007.

ArtTRUST   You have traveled extensively, where is your favorite painting setting?
Burgin   I really enjoy painting New Mexico scenes.  It has everything and is not so green that one get's "the green sickness" in painting landscapes there.

ArtTRUST     Bill, why do you paint only in pastels?   

Burgin   Over time, I have worked and studied in just about all media and found that pastels, both dry or soft, and oil pastels suit my preferred painting style and allow the painting process to proceed quickly without waiting for drying, etc.
          Also, pastels are pure pigment mixed with a binder that holds it's brilliance for ages without yellowing or needing any touching up or cleaning - if properly framed under glass and if archival materials are used.

ArtTRUST     Since you are an artist and a fine art photographer, which do you like best?
Burgin   I love them both.  I never take a landscape photo without thinking I shall paint that sometime.  So I strive to make the composition such that very little alteration in the scene will be necessary to have the proper composition, lighting, and color in a painting.

ArtTRUST   Why do you seem to prefer landscape scenes ?
Burgin    I just love beautiful views in nature and the way light 
makes such a difference in the picture.

ArtTRUST   How do you share what you have learned with others?
Burgin   I like to teach others what I have learned about oil pastel work, individually, and in workshops and demonstrations I give.

ArtTRUST  How would you advise a student to follow an art career?
Burgin   The track that Arkansas artist Barry Thomas took seems to be a good example for beginning artists.  He studied at the Los Angeles School of Design then went directly to being a full time artist in Arkansas -- most successfully.

ArtTRUST  Do you still participate in photography shows?
Burgin  I still take a lot of photographic landscapes but haven't entered any shows lately.  I end up paining from photographic reference with them.  And I do exhibit and sell my photos.

ArtTRUST   Do you see evidence that the "art scene" is growing in Central Arkansas?
Burgin   Yes, it seems more people are buying original art than in recent years, both 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional art. 

ArtTRUST   Who is your favorite artist of all time and why?
Burgin  I suppose my most favorite historical artist is Claude Monet, but I like all the Impressionists. Of living artists, I like pastelist Wolf Kahn the best and enjoyed taking his workshop last year in New York City.