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..William Wood's stylish oils have been popular for years, but few fans have ever seen his beautiful watercolours. Island Arts Galleries, are proud to be able to provide the venue for the first showing of these delicate, stylish, works ..... the Aiton Place Gallery in Hodges Bay, Antigua. The exhibition comprises of 30 pieces, ready matted to a standard size for ease of framing, that are as affordable as they are unusual.
"A lot of people who are fans of Bill's oils simply can't
afford them," surmises Nick Maley,
owner of Island Arts. "But this
exhibition is totally different to his previous shows. I asked him to
focus on small (16 x 20) watercolour images. Watercolor is such an
immediate medium. The artist can't allow himself to labour over them
for too long. Consequently, Bill's fans are now able to pick up an
original for around US$ 320.00. The paintings are superb, those
classic William Wood compositions, but at a fraction of the prices,
(up to $1500.00), that we've seen at previous shows."
William Wood was born in London, England, and attended
the St. Martin's School of Art. Everyone knows how difficult it is to
make a living as a contempory artist, especially in the aesthetically
conservative environment of England, but Bill's creative talent could
not be surpressed and he spent a long career as an art director in
advertising. During his many visits to the Caribbean, Bill was
inspired by the Trinidad based, early 19th century, artist Michel
Jean Cazabon. He began his now renowned tropical paintings...
lyrical, timeless images of an unhurried world filled with cute
houses, idylic beaches and lush forests, and commenced exhibiting
them at Harmony Hall, (Antigua), in 1990. His superb detail and
subtle tones proved immediately popular and a book of his works was
published by MACMILLAN CARIBBEAN PRESS in 1993. This latest
exhibition is his fourth in Antigua.
"Despite the familiar colours and compositions there's a
few surprises in this show," says Nick. A few pieces address subjects
that we haven't seen from Bill previously. The market, with it's
vibrant personalities and distinctive Caribbean flavour, and St.
John's Harbour are two pieces that stick out in my mind as images
that I wouldn't normally associate with Bill..... but that's the
essence of this show. It's something familiar..... yet at the same
time completely different."
The exhibition opens at 5.00 pm on Saturday January 29th 2000 and runs until February 20th. Of course, there are ALWAYS William Woods originals at Aiton Place.
