William Crute
WILLIAM CRUTE — William Crute is an American artist best known for his oil and acrylic paintings of the natural environment. Whether he's painting wetlands or mountains in his home state of Virginia, the rocky coast of New England, Gulf Coast beaches, the high desert of the Southwest, or the bold blue of the Pacific Ocean as it splashes against the West Coast of North America, Crute simplifies and translates the essence of place onto canvases in ways that he hopes will later calm, soothe, and restore viewers of his work.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My interest in drawing and painting began in the first grade, and my talent earned me a passport out into the halls to create murals for upcoming holidays and renderings of historical events. At home I would draw things with pencil, color-in with crayons, and paint by numbers.
Later my interest and enjoyment of drawing and painting was joined by an interest in reading and writing, so when the time came to choose a major in college, I chose English Literature and continued my exploration of art on my own.
In the 1970’s I was married with children and committed to a full-time job and career. I painted when I could and participated in sidewalk art shows and juried exhibitions as well. The high point in those endeavors for me was having one of my paintings selected for a major award by the internationally famous artist Kenneth Noland and Robert Doty, Director of the Whitney Museum.
In 1980 I opened a gallery which grew into two galleries and an art publishing business. Over time I learned how to run a gallery, frame, hang shows, promote, advertise, buy, sell, patch and paint walls, and haul stuff from here to there mostly unharmed. As an artist I depended mostly on my galleries to show and sell my work, but I also participated in the New York and Los Angeles Art Expos.
Today, I am free to explore the world and create art on a full-time basis relying on professionally run galleries and my website to show and sell my work.
— William Crute
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Woman with CupOriginal Oil by William Crute |
Pond IIIOriginal Oil by William Crute |
