Visitors can get an up-close look at nature within the walls of the Newton Free Library by viewing the exhibit titled “Small Works” by Wellesley painter Michael William.
The TAB recently spoke with William, who works as a part-time freelance graphic designer when he’s not painting, by email about his show which runs through the end of the month.
Many of your paintings focus on single birds. What inspired you to paint them?
My girlfriend is very into bird-watching and frequently calls my attention to what’s going on around her feeders in the backyard. She has always been entranced by them but I never really paid much attention – I just didn’t understand what was so fascinating.
A few months ago, however, I suddenly realized how birds, particularly exotic ones, offer excellent opportunities for playing with color, form and texture in paint. I delved into a lot of bird imagery from books and the deeper I went, the more intricate the patterns and flamboyant the color combinations became. I was just in awe of nature and inspired by its strange beauty, so I wanted to capture it in my own way.
How do you choose the locations used for your landscapes? Are they from your travels?
Most of the landscapes I’ve painted have been from within the New England region. I choose them simply because they’re close enough so that I can photograph them myself and they typically have sentimental value to me – places I’ve taken day trips to or places I’ve lived. Though I’ve been traveling more than I used to (I recently took my first trip out the country), I tend to be drawn to the areas I inhabit regularly. I’m motivated by trying to find the magic in seemingly mundane and familiar surroundings.
Which artists do you admire and why?
The artists who have always moved me the most have usually been representational realist painters who create partially unfinished, abstract looking paintings – what you might call “loose realism.” John Singer Sargent, Andrew Wyeth, William Merritt Chase, and Anders Zorn have always been favorites of mine. Some contemporary painters whose work I’m in love with are Justin Clayton, Julian Merrow-Smith, Jeremy Lipking and Daniel Keys.
Duane Keiser is another favorite who spearheaded the “Painting a Day” movement a few years ago – small paintings of familiar subjects done within a day or two. I continue to try and work within these guidelines for my body of small works, but my perfectionism usually forces me to spill over into three to four days per painting.
What advice would you have for young artists who are just starting their careers?
You have to be honest with yourself and decide if this is what you truly want to do – if it’s what you love – because if you want to make a career out of it, you need an almost unwarranted level of confidence and persistence regardless of your talent level. Unless you’re a commercial artist, always be true to yourself in what you make art about and why you make it. And resist yielding to trends and pressure to sell – you’ll always regret it.
Click here to for more information on Michael William, visit https://www.dailypaintworks.com/artists/michael-william-6745/artwork