Introducing...

Hiram Williams, 1969

So there we were, our forth day of museum/gallery hopping around mid Florida, enjoying the whole process, but don't ask me to pinpoint exactly where we were (I don't do details anymore, just overviews!) I was immediately drawn to a small exhibition of large, near minimal paintings. You could tell something was there but it would take a couple of seconds to sort out an image... tree paintings were simply two shapely vertical lines with a background of pale flowing strokes suggesting palm frons. Said everything you needed to know about those trees.

Figures in this exhibition were handled much the same way. Wish I'd taken a few candid photos, but I was too busy looking. The alligator at the left is much the same style. The top image is part of a series of figures seen from above.

Linda mentioned that Hiram Williams had been one of her college art teachers. I noticed that he'd written a book and asked if she had a copy... she did and suggested I borrow it. "Notes For A Young Painter" is out of print but available through Abe Books. No need to quote from it as the words I latch on to are meant just for me and my particular puzzles but Painter's Keys has a few quotes. Thanks to Linda for finding this article for me... great overview.

Now... why would someone who is wondering how to wind down a long career be interested in 'notes for a young painter?' Well... funny you should ask... also funny that a young art student from Tulane recently emailed me for an answer (for a paper he was writing) as to how someone without a 'formal' education actually managed to have an art career! Just luck, maybe... or maybe a formal education is merely the beginning... a place where you go to learn how to learn. Maybe I still wish I'd had the advantage of instructors like Hiram Williams... maybe I'm still playing catch-up... maybe there's more... to learn...