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.
