On Saturday, May 9 from 10 am – 12 pm, William Duffy will share his art process for making his plein air paintings, (art created onsite outdoors), and demostrate how he makes them for Lyme Art Association gallery visitors. Visitors will enjoy viewing this painting demo from the comfort of indoors.

William’s artist statement: “I approach painting on three different levels. All three are interrelated, but easier to discuss separately. The first is the aesthetic. Composition for me is a complex exercise of arranging squares and rectangles broken by subtle curves and angles and activated by a graduated system of warm and cool colors, hopefully fitting into a cohesive whole.

“The second level is creating a sense of place. Light, atmosphere, local color, and texture play the major roles, enabling the viewer to say, yes, this is Nantucket, Ireland, Martha’s Vineyard or the Azores. Painting on location, producing small studies, is crucial to the success of the final studio painting. Although I put the most emphasis on the studio work, many collectors have sought out the studies as works of art in and of themselves.

“On the third level is the emotional or spiritual content. This is the most difficult one for me to articulate. Painting is a means to explore composition and express deep-seated spiritual sentiments. I seek out places that are conducive to these ends. A painting must have mood and subtle power. I try to stir the soul.”

The demo is free, but RSVPs are recommended.

Learn more about the artist: William Duffy