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The true artist regards his work as a means of talking with men, of saying his say to himself and to others. It is not a question of pay. It is not a question of willing acceptance on the part of the public. If he is welcomed and paid it is very good, but whether or no he must say his say. Robert Henri, The Art Spirit, Westview Press, Boulder Colorado 1984
In the early 1950's I started going to the Hudson River and its contiguous waters and fell in love with the nautical life. This love led to a career in the Navy. The Navy years were followed by years as a consultant to businesses.
In college my pen and ink drawings populated the student magazine and our yearbook. During my working career I designed and conducted presentations and classes. Little did I know that these acts were nurturing my love for communication through composition and creative arts.
Several years before retirement I decided that art was to be one of the activities to keep me vitally interested in the world and its people. Since retirement my art, watercolor, is my principal occupation and passion. Not only has this passion sharpened my perception of color, light and shadow but it made me more sensitive to the feelings of places, scenes and people. I have learned a new way of looking at my small corner of the world.
Why watercolor? Perhaps it is because the need to develop a process, a scheme, for producing a successful watercolor painting appeals to my engineering and designer nature. As it may, during five years in The Art League (Alexandria, VA) schools I tried colored pencil, drawing, pottery, and watercolor but watercolor provided the greatest personal positive feedback. I like the medium. Besides, at my age I don't have all that much time to master one medium after another.
What have I accomplished? Yes, I have been juried into shows at The Torpedo Factory in Alexandria (and others). I have shown in several galleries and am a member of two. And I have paintings that won prizes in shows. Yes, some of my paintings were purchased. More importantly I feel as if I have created some beauty and meaning by my work.
I hope that what you see here gives you some pleasure. More importantly, perhaps it will make you think differently about life.
Bill |
Yes, I am of an age. After forty or so years of working as an engineer and designer of systems I reengaged my art. The decision to delve into this creative activity again was and remains great. Let's back up a bit.