Dave Williams

Dave joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 1977 and retired after serving 24 years in 2001. Then, he started the JROTC program at Richwoods High School and did that for about 5 years. Now, he is only working a few hours a week and enjoying it. He also enjoys building things using pallet wood. He lives with his wife, Gabriel, and their many furry little friends in Washington, Illinois.

Artist Statement

My Grandmother was my inspiration. She was an accomplished oil painter who had an uncanny ability to teach even the youngest of her grandchildren how to draw. Being partially color blind creates an interesting challenge in the creation of my work. In my youth, I avoided using color in my drawings, concerned that I would inaccurately depict the color of a subject. At some point, I realized that I could create to please myself first. In 2017, I decided to commit to using colored pencils. My pencils of choice are Faber-Castellated Polycromos and Prismacolor premier. When someone sees the beauty of a subject in the way I see it despite my disability, this encourages me to draw even more. Outside of taking art classes in high school and some on-line courses, I have no formal art training.