"There is only Christ: He is everything and He is in everything."
St. Paul, Colossians 3:11


Artist Biography

William Hart McNichols has been "drawing and coloring in his room" since he was five years old.
He was born to Marjory Hart McNichols and Stephen McNichols on July 10, 1949 at St. Joseph's Hospital in Denver Colorado.

He was a member of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) from September 1, 1968 to December 16, 2002. He studied philosophy, theology, and art at St. Louis University, Boston College, Boston University and Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Father Bill furthered his art studies at California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, California in 1977.

He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest by Archbishop James Casey, in Denver, May 25, 1979.

In 1983 he received a Master of Fine Arts in landscape painting , from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York.

From 1983 - 1990 he worked with the wonderful AIDS Hospice team of St. Vincent's Hospital in Manhattan, New York. He also illustrated 25 books, mostly children's books for Paulist Press during this time.

In September 1990, he moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico to study the technique, history and spirituality of icon painting (technically "icon writing") with Russian-American master, Robert Lentz. He has also been assisting with sacremental ministry in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Father Bill lives with his cat, Nino and hens, Rose and Catherine. In January 2007, Father Bill began to work on the Publication Ministry of the Icons. Artist representative and director of daily communications of the ministry is Pamela Scalora.

From September 4, 2008 to January 18, 2009 his first exhibit, Silence of the Storm: Icons and Images, featuring 26 originals will be at the Millicent Rogers Museum in Taos, New Mexico.