| 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. The strength of Wofford's work lies in its simplicity and balance, with his composition being based on design elements both naturally and instinctively created. He began a self-study of art in 1976 with his early interest in oil and acrylic, but his discovery of 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 to date, at the DeLand Museum of Art.
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." |
