The Art of William Whitaker

The Art of William Whitaker 

 

 

 

Into the Woods       20 x 20" oil on canvas       1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Stone Turtle      18x14" oil on canvas        2000

 

 

 

 

 

 Tabled Roses               12x9" oil on panel              1994

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Steamer Trunk            oil on canvas             1980

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Season's Dance      16 x 24" oil/ on panel       1986

 

 

 

 

 

 The Roses of Santa Fe        12 x 9" oil on panel             1991

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Performance                20 x 16" oil on canvas              1991

 

 

 

 

 

  Pathway              20 x 16" oil on canvas               1998

 

 

 

 

 

 Paranymph       28x22" oil on canvas       1989

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Next Day           30x24" oil on panel                2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monarch                            14x18" oil on canvas                          2001

 

 

 

 

 

Member of the Company           12x9" oil on panel               1992 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Magic Carpet                        15x15" oil on board                              1981    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Dancer                       18x15" oil on panel                  1997

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

    Treasure             14 x 18" oil on panel          1992

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The West Window           16 x 12" oil on panel          1992

 

 

 

 

 

     The Letter        13.5 x 9" oil on panel             1993

 

 

 

 

 

  Primary Trio        20 x 14" oil on panel             1984  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Island Pathway            12x9" oil on panel             2001

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Mandolin Dancer              25 x 19" oil on panel             1986

 

 

 

 

 

 

 High Brasil             9 x 12" oil on panel                 1992

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Green Park                                                  8x10" oil on panel                                                             1987

 

 

 

 

 

 Fresh Air                        12x9" oil on canvas                                    1996 

 

 

 

 

 

   Flight of Fancy           18x14" oil on canvas              2000 

 

 

 

 

 

     Weaver          12 x 9" oil on panel          1983

 

 

 

 

 

 Portuguese Flying Carpet        14 x 20" oil on panel             1983

 

 

 

 

 

Cutty Sark                 12x9" oil on panel                       1983

 

 

 

 

 

Country Quilt                                                   10x12" oil on panel                                                             1993

 

 

 

 

 

 Nederlandse          9x12" oil on panel               2001 

 

 

 

 

 

Plains Portrait      24x18" oil on canvas        2000

 

 

 

 

 

Harvest Home                                 11x13" oil on panel                                        1985

 

 

 

 

 

The Concert Artist                 12 x 16" oil on panel                      1995

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Charity's Dance           18 x 24" oil on panel          1992

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Caryatid              32 1/2 x 22 1/2" oil on canvas           2000

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Cartimandua        12 x 9" oil on panel         1990

 

 

 

 

 

 Nut Brown and Green               16x12" oil on panel                   1985 

 

 

 

 

 

The Open Window          12x9" oil on panel               1993 

 

 

 

 

 

  A Box of Keys      24x16" oil on canvas      2000  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Black Irish           24 x 16" oil on panel          1999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Bachianas Brasileiras        16 x 20" oil on panel             1984

 

 

 

 

 

   The Yellow Dress        24 x 16" oil on canvas            1981

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Water Jar       36 x 24" oil on panel       1977

 

 

 

 

 

 Vikings Daughter      9 x 12" oil/ on panel       1986

 

 

 

 

 

 

   Araucana and Blue Andalusian               22 x 28" oil on panel              1982

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  A Letter to Alessandra                               20x24" oil on panel                                     2000  

 

 

 

 

  

  Spring Come Again                                        16x24" oil on panel                                                          2000 

 

 

 

 

 

 A Game of Spoons       12 x 20" oil on panel       1990

 

 

 

 

 

    A Season at Iosepa          30 x 42" oil on canvas          1983

 

 

 

 

 

Holiday and Mountain Home      22 x 28" oil/ on panel       1986

 

 

 

 

  

  The Lady Abish              12 x 9" oil on panel               1993 

 

 

 

 

 J Ai Peur(사랑의 두려움) / Paul Mauriat

 

 

 About the Artist

The only son of an artist father, William Whitaker grew up in the special world of the working artist. He had access to the finest art materials and was painting in watercolor and oil at the age of six. His fondest early memories are of the sights sounds and smells of the art studio.      The art world of his childhood and youth was the brave new world of abstract ｅxpression!!!!ism and until he was well out of college his natural inclination to draw accurately and his love for traditional realism was a source of inner conflict. Nevertheless he was fortunate, starting at age 17, to receive a thorough grounding in academic figure drawing and painting from the portrait painter Alvin Gittins at the University of Utah, and after exploring other styles he followed his heart into traditional art.      Whitaker loves to paint from life in an old fashioned studio. No matter what direction his art takes him, he always comes back to the model in the studio, the form bathed in the beautiful quiet cool light coming down from a high north window. He refers to this kind of seeing and painting as the Old Testament of art and feels there is enough magic to engage him there for the rest of his life.      He believes the value of painting is to be found in its spiritual power. Having been told all his life that the kind of painting he enjoys is dead, he takes quiet comfort in lovingly attempting to capture something the camera cannot see. He is also delighted that there are so many wonderfully talented young artists who are not bound or inhibited by contemporary art world conventions and who are out to paint beautifully crafted pictures without apology.      He has been a professional artist since 1965, during which time he has conducted workshops and been a university art professor.  He continues to work with one or two advanced student artists for fun.  He paints about three or four hours every day ands spends the rest of the time trying not to ruin any good work he's done                                                                                                                                                                             Claire Peterson

                                                        drawing by Paul Calle

Whitaker giving a workshop at Brigham Young University, fall 2002