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Over the past week, I was complimented on my seascapes and my animal paintings, and I was asked which I prefered to do.

My answer was I really enjoy painting both. 

Animals have always fascinated me, and I've been a pretty avid animal lover most of my life so far.  The expression, forms and figures of animals interacting in their environment, the colors and patterns of animals' bodies (fur, feather or scales), can be  used for camouflage or for showing off natural beauty to attract a potential mate.  Animals of all kinds have posed an interest for my. One of my defining artworks was actually made in middle school. It was a scratch art piece of the pandas who were living in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C.  Something attracted my art teacher's attention enough, that she put me in front of my first large scale painting, and talked me through painting the pandas in acrylic paint.  This was the turning point for my love of creating art (as well as teaching my students).

Today, when I work on animal paintings, like "Bengal's Stroll" below.  I am often attracted the expression and patterns in the natural world.  Whether this gorgeous large cat is taking a casual stroll, or is on the hunt for some dinner, I leave up to the viewer.  For me, I wanted to share the beauty of this white tiger walking through it's habitat, the patterns of leaves and grases, even the dirt, just as important as the tiger is framed and embraced by his setting.

I also truly love anything with water, and I find over the course of my few decades painting, I have found my way back to the water. 

Painting water as a subject or setting is fascinating.  Water is clear and transparent in true nature, but reflects color like a mirror.  It can move in waves and patterns, or be still as a calm lake in front of a mountain. Whether enjoying a hike by a river, or finding a lake in the mountains, or (I guess my true favorite) getting away to a beach and listening to and watching the churning waves.  The many ways water can be painted, drawn, sketched seems never ending to me.  I love that the water's physical behavior seems to change, depending on the weather, the change in the surf, or the time of day. Even when I return to a similar location of water, it seems different each day.  A never ending source of inspiration (hopefully).  Painting and drawing watery scenes has helped me get through creative blocks, and for me is always a joy to create, leaving me with a renewed sense of energy.  When we find our way to the beach (my wife and I) and walk along the water's edge, my wife, Jackie,  always notices the stress lines seem to fade away.  I hope when I paint a seascape or other watery scene, that this is reflected in my paintings of water.

      

Nine times out of ten, when I start paintings like these, I often follow my gut and create a work inspired simply by what I feel like working on.  As my journey continues, I am sure more drawings and paintings  of animals and watery, beachy scenes will find there way out of my creative endeavors, and hopefully into the view of family, friends, and fans who follow my artistic journey.  

For now, some water inspired images are in the works.  

Feel free to let me know what you think.  If you had to pick one, what would it be?

Thanks for reading, and feel free to post thoughts or comments to this blog.

William

PS  if you know someone who would be interested in this, please forward this to them.

I am in the process of expanding my email list on my website. 

Once I hit 100 subscribers, I will be raffling off  and giving out a free print of one of my art works to the 

lucky person who wins.