Santa Fe, NM
Joe Wade Fine Art, August 25-September 3
Roger Williams, New Mexico Wildflowers, oil, 24 x 36.
This story was featured in the August 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
“We’re all after one thing in life, and that is joy,” painter Roger Williams says. “But joy is the thing people forget about from day to day. So whatever I’m doing, especially when I’m painting, I’m smiling and enjoying it.” This philosophy has dominated Williams’ career in art for the past 35 years as he has traveled and painted everything from landscapes to figures to architecture. In a solo exhibition this month at Joe Wade Fine Art, Williams presents 25 new works that convey the spiritual awareness he brings to each new location. The show opens with an artist’s reception on Friday, August 25, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Reflecting his extensive travels, the show includes scenes from across the globe. For example, while teaching a workshop in Italy earlier this year, Williams created several landscape pieces that are displayed in the show. Also included are paintings of everyday life in Egypt and scenes from the artist’s home in Santa Fe. Williams also recently began a series of figural works depicting the historic pueblos of the Southwest. “I don’t just do one thing,” Williams says. “If I do that, it’s not art.”
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- Roger Williams, After a Morning Rain, oil, 24 x 36.
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- Roger Williams, Below the Ruins, oil, 28 x 22.
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- Roger Williams, The Smell of Rain, oil, 16 x 20.
Working in both oil and pastel, Williams fluctuates between realism and impressionism. “When I’m out in the field, I get very loose, and I slash and burn with the brush strokes,” he says. He relies on the energy that emanates from each subject to determine the style he uses from piece to piece. However, he will never paint anything that suggests violence. “My intention is to note and impart a sense of peace and beauty and a willingness to experience that side of your being more than anything,” he says.
With his delicately rendered figures, attention to detail, and awareness of the moment, Williams has earned his success. Yet he says he is still learning. “Rembrandt said he wished he had another lifetime so he could continue to paint,” Williams says. “That’s how I feel. I’ve been doing this professionally for a long time, and I feel like I’m just barely learning how to paint.” But one thing is certain: the awareness and gratitude he cultivates during the creative process continues to shine through. —Mackenzie McCreary
contact information
505.988.2727
www.joewadefineart.com
This story was featured in the August 2017 issue of Southwest Art magazine. Get the Southwest Art August 2017 print issue or digital download now–then subscribe to Southwest Art and never miss another story.
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