Rez Williams, painter: The work that I do, the subject I’m interested in — the New Bedford steel-hulled boats — have a brutal quality to them, and that seems to fit winter, which is a brutal time of year. Also, winter has a lack of natural light and light is a precious thing for an artist. For me, it tends to sharpen my pictorial senses. I’m also a studio painter, not plein air, and so I enjoy working in the studio. The stormier the weather, the more I enjoy being in there. As a painter, it’s important to push one’s own boundaries. In wintertime, there’s a sense of risk and sharpness that helps me to push myself.
