William Hemming

William Craig Hemming, the artist, age 73, of Columbus, Ohio passed away December 5, 2019. He will be sorely missed by his wife Soon Ja of 35 years, his brother Patrick, Sister Brenda Mellett, dog Clancy, many, many friends and even some fans.

Hemming was passionate about life, (Soon Ja, Clancy, Art, Friends, Paris, the Saints, Doo Dah) and lived it to the fullest. His love of everything French along with wine, books, music, movies - the house could collapse under the weight of his collections. He had a unique sense of humor and was a jester at heart, some of his Christmas gifts were unforgettable. All of us were touched by his great heart and love.

Most of all, Hemming was an artist. He spent most of his youth drawing cartoons and faces. His formal art training was at the Columbus College of Art and Design which ended when he was drafted into the Army during the Viet Nam war. Stationed at Ft. Rucker in Alabama, he earned a good conduct medal and returned to Columbus. Attending Ohio State University, he was awarded a bachelor's degree in history. After graduation, he worked as a social worker with the severely disabled for public welfare and mental retardation agencies in Columbus. After 11 years of such high-stress work, Hemming decided he need a change and got a job at Ohio State where he to coordinated room scheduling for classes. After 10 years he became the appointments secretary and building coordinator in the psychology department. He retired in 2009 to work on art and his other interests full time.

Hemming called his painting style "Boston Expressionism with a touch of Mad Magazine and a healthy dose of color." Even he felt his use of colors was unusual, he once said. "They are real weird and strike you as being different." His paintings present his unique view, including figure studies, landscapes, celebrity portraits, scenes of the night sky, wry social commentary and more. He has exhibited many times in Columbus and also in Marbella and Barcelona Spain.

To view examples of his art, published articles, reviews and more information, do a Google search for W. C. Hemming and William C. Hemming.

Contributions in Hemming's name may be made to: Humane Society, Diabetic Society, National Parks, and St. Jude Children's Cancer Research.