​

Wm. Hawkins is known for his colorful and stylized impressionist oil paintings. His work hangs in private, public, and corporate collections throughout the world. Clouds, trees, cows and plowed, rain-soaked fields are among his favorite subjects. His work has been featured in publications such as Art Calendar magazine and International Artist magazine and hangs in the Grand Canyon Association’s permanent collection. He has been a top auction seller on eBay and other online art sites since 2004.  Several modern luminaries and political personages are among his patrons.

He grew up in central Minnesota along the banks of the Mississippi river.  Germaine to his development as an artist/artisan/adventurer were the tales and exploits of Teddy Roosevelt, Erik the Red (Viking), and Pecos Bill, as well as  an obsession (as a youth) with wildlife art and duck calling.

William lives in Tucson, Arizona with his charming  wife Carmen and their four kids somewhere nearby.

​

​

 

Artist’s Statements…

​

River rats, tree skin, fish scales, and the dead eagle’s feather were  some of my favorite things. They were fascinating to my little eyes and my commensurately-sized brain. The little fingers wrapped around the pocket knife-shaved pencil stub tried to trace their shapes onto rough and ready paper scraps…Childhood.

​

Books, shotguns, rock and roll and the wily, watery ways of the mighty Mississippi filled, inhabited, infused and ultimately inspired and awakened the quixotic artist within. Plans were made, brain cells activated, days were spent trying to get the vibe of natural things on to paper and canvas - and to stay away from school as much as possible. Star gazing and cloud spotting, acres and acres of lawn-mowing and dead winter woods followed…Youth.

​

I’m not sure there is much of a chronology of the artist’s training to report on, as such. From earliest memory there has always been close at hand a tool (or weapon?) that needed wielding, a pencil that needed sharpening, a guitar that needed strumming.  A picture that needed painting. Over time, the artistical vision has been slowly forged by dint of trial and error.  It is enough to say that years of moiling for blood-wrought treasure, metaphysical and visible,  has yielded some things that are pleasing to the eyes and ears. The best and most obviously pleasing  results, to my eyes and ears anyway, are my family (four awesome kids, one super awesome wife) and, in spite of me, the ability to see and enjoy the kindness of God. Also something that makes the cut: lots and lots of paintings.

​

These days I mostly derive inspiration from natural vistas observed in the American west (Montana, Oregon, California, and Arizona) and northwestern Mexico (Sonora and Sinaloa) the places where I have lived and traveled for the better part of the last 40 years.

I am amazed and grateful that so many friends have found a way to share with me in this little artistical odyssey.  The company and instruction of good artists along the way and the encouragement from friends and patrons far and near have gone far in helping me see value in  the pursuit of excellence in craft and virtue in life. Gracias.