Painter William T. Williams Has Stayed Curious on the Canvas for Six Decades
Artist William T. Williams, speaking in his Connecticut studio, described maintaining a beginner’s mindset after nearly six decades of painting, saying he tries to enter each studio session “as if it’s the first time.” He and his wife, Pat, have split time between Connecticut and New York for 15 years, and Williams contrasted his naturally lit Connecticut workspace with his New York studio, which he has kept since 1968 and intentionally darkened by boarding up windows to control lighting. He said the changing angle and geometry of daylight in Connecticut has influenced his recent abstractions, making them more vertical and prompting experiments like placing canvases against windows to study transmitted light. Williams detailed a process of building thin paint layers separated by gaps to create a cracked surface, noting that many works take at least six months and some take years of subtle tonal adjustments.
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This story was covered in Museum Power Plays, Union Strikes, and Sacred Heists