| Artist Information - William R. Swanson |
| Birthplace - New Jersey Residence - Pine Hill, New Jersey - Summer Venice, Florida - Winter Background - On the surface my background appears unrelated to art but at a deeper level it is quite related. I'm a CPA, with a BS from Rutgers University, who was the audit director of a stock brokerage firm in Philadelphia for fourteen years and studied art in the evenings. I left the brokerage world in 2002 to pursue art. In a well run company the audit director is given an unusual and necessary degree of independence so that audit reports are not sugar coated to reflect favorably on the audit director's superiors. Independence is an ingredient in creativity which sets it apart from imitation. At times I would try to imagine what scheme a white collar criminal might devise to defeat our controls, whether a convoluted scheme or simple forgery of certain documents. Needless to say imagination is important to creativity. I consider the auditing years as good preparation in other ways as well, including the varied nature of the work and the mental push required to audit a complex business, for artistic endeavor. This is not to declare myself creative, for others can be the judge of that, but to say that my background has been one to promote rather than discourage this element. Art Education - I studied art with a focus on painting at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and Fleisher Art Memorial in Philadelphia. I'm a member of The Philadelphia Sketch Club and the Venice Art Center. Visiting great art museums in the USA and Europe has been moving and educational. Inspiration - Scuba diving (I've been a certified PADI diver since 1985) and snorkeling have brought a deeper appreciation for marine life and inspiration for paintings. Although I've sailed on large boats mine is a little Sunfish sailed on the bays of New Jersey. I don't know what my Estonian grandfather would make of the Sunfish. He lived the end of the age of commercial sail, rounding Cape Horn and circumnavigating on merchant sailing ships. He passed away when I was one year old so I can't say I knew him, but I think about his rough life (sailing the world from the age of fourteen to avoid conscription by Russia, as a cabin boy and then a rigger, never to see his parents again) and it gives inspiration for painting the rough seas. But my favorite boat/yacht/ship is the versatile kayak. I paddle one on the bays and rivers of southwest Florida. Walking, hiking or camping in wonderful wild places in North America, Central America, South America and Africa has been both enjoyable and valuable. Birdwatching with binoculars and a bird guide for the area is often included. I include all of this because art is far more than painting classes, brushes and technique. Art is also much about exposure to and affection for the subject of the painting. Artist Statement - My goal is creative compositions that have a beauty, mood, atmosphere, energy, unusual quality, or some combination of these. I believe visual art transcends words just as literature transcends images so perhaps I should leave it at that. Most of my work is marines and landscapes, done either in oil or acrylic. I use to do a lot of plein air painting but find that I'm generally more creative in the studio. I try to avoid formula painting, i.e. paintings like I've done before and don't require much push, and do something new and different than what I've seen. This can take more time so I think the giclee is a worthwhile option, particularly with the advances in quality and lightfastness achieved in recent years. Occasionally I do portrait or figure work, usually with a live model. |
