About the Artist
William Wofford, Jr. is a third generation Floridian who lives and paints in the coastal area of central Florida where he was born and raised. He began a self-study of art in 1976 with his early interest in oil and acrylic, but his introduction to the works of both Andrew Wyeth and Edward Hopper led him to focus and dedicate himself almost exclusively to watercolor. Since then, his work has been featured in state, regional, and national watercolor exhibitions and he was selected as a Signature Member of the Florida Watercolor Society in 1991, after being accepted to exhibit in three out of his first four years. He was featured in the premier Spring Edition of American Artist's Watercolor magazine in 1994, and in 1996 had his most significant solo exhibit at the DeLand Museum of Art. The strength of Wofford’s work lies in its simplicity and balance.
Although his appreciation for the stark and beautiful Maine landscape has produced a number of works, his subject matter primarily consists of everyday objects from his immediate environment in Florida. It is in this study of objects he has a history with that he has always found his strongest connection. “I have an affinity and admiration for artists who paint subjects, and objects, that they have daily interactions with. Subjects that are personal, whether they be animate or inanimate, take on a life of their own. They often have more private meaning than many would assume at first glance, and greater personal value. The more you can relate to any subject, the more love and truth you can put into it. Being an artist is as much about passion as it is technical pursuit, and one without the other leaves a void. If art is at the center of your life, then your life should be at the center of your art."
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Testimonials
“Like a number of fine artists who for whatever reason are termed “realist” or “traditional”, William Wofford paints immediately recognizable subjects that speak to us in many ways and on more than one level. These works are at once simple and beautiful. Likewise, they may be complex and narrative. Often his control of color and composition implies, but does not actually include the figure, an architectural structure, or a portion of a landscape. These may be located just outside of the horizon. In my view these personal discoveries greatly strengthen the paintings. His approach to painting, his skill at his craft, the maturity and confidence he shows in his autobiographical subject matter says a great deal about this artist, his influences, and his life”
Michael Sanden, Executive Director, DeLand Museum of Art, 1996.
“To begin with, Bill’s work has always impressed me with its restrained color, elegant brushwork, and deceptively simple composition. His subject matter always seems to include a bit of architecture- a window ledge or a few carefully observed wooden planks- which leads the viewer’s eye along a path of abstract geometric design. Like most successful artists, he understands that a painting is not a representation of nature, but a construction after nature. In his case, the abstract clarity of form is guided by a precise illusionism. These descriptive fragments suggest a larger world, one the artist feels an affinity with. Bill celebrates the poetry of things in themselves and does so with an economy of means that underlies the very best watercolors. One senses the artist’s warm interaction with the objects of everyday existence, and this quality radiates from all his work.”
Prof. James J. Murphy, Ph.D., First program director of Atlantic Center for the Arts, Independent curator to arts organizations and author of reviews, articles and catalogue essays.
“I have had the pleasure of watching William Wofford’s work develop and have presented his work on exhibit at various arts venues over the years. He is an important Florida and American artist capturing various subject matter from still life to landscape with subtle color variation changes while recording the unique and dynamic qualities of light in Florida. One of the hardest things I have heard to paint successfully is an egg on the beach at high noon. That type of difficult artistic exercise is what his painting masters so well while telling a story with a sense of place so engaging to the viewer.”
Jennifer McInnis Coolidge, former executive director of The Harris House of the Atlantic Center for the Arts, executive director of the Museum of Florida Arts, Director of Development for the College of Fine Arts, University of Florida, Dir. of Philanthropy for the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, and Executive Director of the Atlantic Center for the Arts.
