HOOK

26 HOOK visual experience, the totality of what I see—direct vision, views in the distance, close-ups, peripheral and so forth – not a quick glance at a sta5c object simply to copy it onto a canvas." nevertheless, as he points out, there's a certain amount of abstract art even in a realis5c work; when you are working from observa5on you are constantly abstrac5ng an element that is already gone in the next few minutes. the early Surrealist revolu5on in art experimented with the idea that there should be no preconceived rule how to express the world; later this was formal- ized into the philosophy of "Phenomenology" where the understanding of the world is how the individual directly experiences it in person. the ar5st's own experience is what counts and Bill shares what he discovers with America's leading philosophers, such as Galen Johnson, who documents Bill's ar5st's insights in his own scholarly trea5ses on this philosophy. For example, pain5ng a landscape view out- doors makes the ar5st consider 5me; the sun's transit during the day and the changing sea- sons. the ra5onale for the ny State Council of the Art's grant applica5on for a mural for the Haverstraw Post office, was how an ar5st can deal with experiencing the element of 5me. the grant allowed me to paint for a year parked in the same place on the part of 9W overlooking the Hudson. "While light and seasons changed constantly, it was interes5ng to find that my familiarity with details and rela5onship of forms became prac5ced, almost re- flexive. the hesitant brush searching for the correct placement, a%er a month, was more like an easy gesture. I must have painted 17, maybe 20 works alto- gether and selected 6 of them to hang side-by-side for the grant." "together 5tled "the Six Seasons", was a bit of friendly provoca5on," Bill chuckled, then noted his purpose. "If six different pain5ngs can be stuck to- gether, edge to edge, to prompt a dis- cussion of 5me in those viewing the mural, they take on a func5on beyond decora5on or mere performance of skill." When the ar5st takes a rare quiet mo- ment from his energe5c ac5ve life, he wishes everyone could enjoy making art like he does. "Honestly, I feel fortunate to have curiosity and was taught the hand skills to manipulate art materials. I believe the joy of making art should be for everyone, not reserved for a few. A%er all, everyone can experience a scene, so there should be simple enough ways for anyone to put this ex- perience onto a sheet of paper." this is the concept for the drawing book he's been wri5ng, called "think and doodle," geared to adults to learn how they can enjoy being an ar5st, using tools they al- ready have but don't realize how they can easily use what they already know to make their own drawings. Besides his gallery prepara5ons, con- struc5on project for a rus5c cabin in northern Vermont for his daughter and grandchildren, conversa5ons with his philosophy mentors and art associates, Bill is now deep into a new project ex- Crocosima lucifer. In this mul,- panel series of oil pain,ngs, he has observed wild Crocosmia lucifer (Montbre,a) during it's growth cycle in the Hudson Valley from July though September There's a certain amount of abstract art even in a realistic work; when you are working from obser- vation you are con- stantly abstracting an element that is already gone in the next few minutes.

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