Artist Statement

In many respects, my ‘joy of painting’ is reflected from my travels to places near and far away. The features of natural surroundings— mountains, waters, clouds, trees, rocks, shapes, climate changes, seasonal moods and their endlessly fascinating variations and combinations have intrigued my desires for close observation and meditative experiences. Also, my long term interests in history and historical artifacts has doubless infuenced many of my choices of subject. For me, the joy in painting is in being able to respond to my ‘being there’. As a result, any place I have ever painted remains imprinted not just on paper or canvas but in my mind’s eye.

My activities in painting and the appreciation of art are of long standing. They go back to undergraduate days at the University of Toronto where I was for several years, Keeper of the Prints at the Art Gallery in Hart House. There I was able to meet many of the outstanding Canadian artists of the day and to assist several resident artists. Through them I was introduced to still life and figure drawing. In the intervening years, painting —— in oils, charcoal, pastels, pen and ink, watercolours and acrylics has given me much pleasure and a certain freedom, as it was always an avocational interest and activity for which I had to account only to myself.

Since mandatory retirement from the University of British Columbia has relieved me of my immediate duties and responsibilities as a social scientist and educator, there has been more time and direction for my artistic development as for several years I have taken art classes, especially in watercolour and acrylics from a series of talented artist teachers at Brock House in Vancouver.

In 1993-94, my wife Jeannie Corsi and I undertook a year of discovery in a round the world journey during which I painted over 50 watercolours and a large number of pen and ink drawings in various locations in sixteen countries. In March 1995, a selection of these was exhibited at Sandstone Studio at Pages Resort on Gabriola Island in conjunction with a concert of music that Jeannie found on our travels. The additional pointings are from vacations in France and from another year of travel in 2000 - 2001.

William M. Nicholls
1921-2003