A sick day turned out to be life-changing for artist Billy S.
“I was waiting tables,” said the artist who eschews his last name professionally.
A friend had bought him some paint supplies at Christmas, and they’d sat neglected for about nine months. He took that day and painted 10 canvases. He was amazed at what he’d done by the end of the day, but he also didn’t really believe he’d done it.
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“I asked my brother what I’d done, and he said, ‘it’s art, stupid.’”
Billy never looked back from there.
“It’s been 25 years, and I don’t want to even think where I’d be without art,” he said. “It made me sweeter, kinder and appreciative.”
Billy’s works feature bold colors and big abstract designs. He likes to freely express himself. Sometimes, he’ll pick colors that don’t seem to go together, yet somehow, they find harmony on his canvases.
“It’s fun to do experiments,” he said.
Billy said he usually doesn’t watch much television. He polices what he watches because too much negative impacts his artwork. Sometimes he paints in complete silence. He had the television on while preparing for the Westobou exhibition when something he heard inspired the title of the show.
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“The woman said, ‘You’re a land of delight.’ I thought ‘Me?’ And she said “Yes, you,’” he said.
Billy’s pieces often inspire others to want to paint, he said.
“If you think, ‘I could do this,’ maybe you should,” he said.
An exhibition of his works is on display at the Westobou Gallery through Feb. 20. Also in February, he will have pieces at the city gallery at the municipal building. His Westobou exhibition is called “Land of Delight.”
Other exhibitions in the area include Robert Campbell, Whitney Kurlan and Camryn Finnen’s “going…going…gone” at the Aiken Center for the Arts. The exhibition supports wildlife conservation and education. It runs from Feb. 4 through March 19.
Charmain Z. Brackett is the Features Editor for The Augusta Press. Reach her at charmain@theaugustapress.com
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