PONCHATOULA, La. - Southern folk artist William Hemmerling, whose artistic creations using simple pieces of discarded wood and metal earned him honors, died Monday after a two-year battle with cancer . He was 66.

Hemmerling died at his home in Ponchatoula, where his art gallery is also located, according to his manager, Jack Siekkinen.

In 2005, the Chicago native was selected to create the poster for the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, which featured jazz cornetist Charles "Buddy" Bolden. He had also been honored by the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Northshore Regional Endowment for the Arts and the African American Heritage Museum in Aurora, Ill.

His agent, Carol Siekkinen, said he wandered into her gallery six years ago "saying he was getting ready to retire and he needed money and he thought he could paint."

Since then, she said, Hemmerling has had more than 1,000 people buy his work and most are repeat customers, 80 percent of whom live out of state. His work began selling for $100 to $500 and now prices range from $3,000 to $20,000, she said.

"Collectors from all over the world say they're just touched by his work," she said. "Not a week goes by where someone comes into the gallery and is not brought to tears by his work. He was an old Hippie, with the innocence of a child."