Depth in Art
The Artistic Statement of
Richard Williams

My first paintings were done in oil on stretched canvas, and after that painting class that Karla mentioned, I decided that if I wanted to be an artist, I would need to teach myself.
So, I designed and built an art table and practiced by painting flowers from seed catalogues, still lifes from greeting cards and landscapes from calendars. I now paint only from my own photos or photos from friends and family.

Down through the years, I have painted in oil, acrylic, pastel and watercolor, the acrylic paintings being the only medium I use for non-realistic work. My favorite medium is watercolor. I enjoy the challenge of planning each step of the painting. I paint on illustration board, either hot or cold press and use mostly transparent watercolors. I bring a work in progress down from my studio to our family room, place it on the mantle and may leave it there for a day, a week or longer until I decide the next step. As I never paint the same painting twice, every painting is a new learning experience.

My goal is for the viewer of my art to feel the depth – to almost smell the flowers, to want to touch an object in a still life, to walk into a landscape or wade into the water of a seascape.
I hope I have accomplished this goal.
“Enjoy”