Q&A with Charles Williams

Coastal Community Foundation is excited to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Griffith-Reyburn Lowcountry Artist of the Year Award and to recognize this year’s winner
 
Charles Williams
 
Please join us for an opening exhibit and reception on October 18, 2013 from 5-7 p.m. at City Gallery at Waterfront Park (34 Prioleau Street).


Getting to know the artist: Q&A with Charles Williams

When did you start painting?
When I was in 10th grade, my high school art teacher helped me overcome my fear of mixing colors.  He mixed colors for me until I developed enough self-confidence to do it myself.  When he realized how serious I was about painting, he also helped arrange for me to have private lessons with Georgetown artist Bruce Chandler and that was when I started painting.
When and how did you realize that you wanted to pursue art as your career?

When I saw art related magazines in bookstores, even when I was a young child, I wanted to see my art on those magazines.  I spent many hours every day drawing my versions of the art I had seen.
Describe your art in three words.

Contemporary realism landscapes.
What got you interested in painting landscapes?

I became interested in painting landscapes from seeing work by artist Jacob Collins in American Artist and Art Collector magazines.
Do you draw from any other inspirations besides nature?

I draw inspiration from interactions with other people and from seeing other art forms, including visual and/or auditory art, such as video, film, or music.  I am also often inspired by memories, which sometimes leads me to create pieces that elicit a passionate response from my audience derived from their own emotional response.
Tell us something about yourself (non-art related) that we don’t know!

If I hadn’t become an artist, I would have chosen to be either a musician or a meteorologist, or both.

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