Williamson Tapia
Though Will has worked "alla prima," starting
and finishing a painting in one stretch of time,
he also pursues the recursive study, involving
more than one visit and situation from the same
vantage point over a number of days in a given
stretch of time and season. Working from dark to
light, he typically pushes the contrasts early
on, then embellishes muted highlights and
saturated middle tones later. Since 1989, Will
has focused mainly on the outdoor subjects of
Sedona and Verde Valley although recent pursuits
have expanded his direct studies to include Oak
Creek, northern Arizona, and Colorado.
Describing himself as a "perpetual student" of
plein air painting, he is considered by many to
have acquired a mastery of plein air oils.
He has been painting
plein air subjects since 1978. An Arizona native
and Native American (Yoeme [Yaqui]), he studied
art at Glendale College, AZ and Arizona State
University (1983), and began post-graduate work
at ASU West in 1991. Will started teaching at
the Sedona Arts Center in 1997. |