William Thomson Works

March 16, 1931- October 9, 2014

Thomson’s work is oftentimes haunting and is complemented by warm, rich earth tones executed onto “canvas” with visible, sure brushwork. In his body of work, all styles are explored including: mixed media, acrylic, encaustic, egg tempera, oil and watercolor. Every piece showcases multilayers of color, light, movement, drama and balance.  What is left for the eye to feast upon is a style and stroke, clearly that of a master, leaving us deeply intrigued, regardless of subject or mood. Simply magnificent, “He is truly one of the best American painters alive,” noted Art Collector Magazine (2006). “What makes him so, is the surety of his skill and style, something only decades of working one’s craft can achieve, especially for those with natural skill,” says Steve Bowersock, artist and curator of the Bowersock Galleries. “Bill was a friend, a great inspiration, and his images will remain, forever, as an observation of life’s stage.”

William Thomson plied his trade for more than a half century and is exhibited in the Britain Museum of American Art (featured in “The Great American Watercolor Exhibition”), Holyoke Museum of Art and History, Mattatuck Museum, DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Berkshire Museum, Slater Museum collections (amongst others) and in the homes of discerning collectors.

 

Studies:

          Three years with Ernest Lohrmann

           Meriden Trade School – Meriden, CT

           Two years at Paier Art School, New Haven, CT

 

Represented in the collections of:

           New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT

           Holyoke Museum of Art and History, Holyoke, MA

           Mattatuck Museum, Waterbury, CT

           Butler Institute, Youngstown, OH

           DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

           Hamlin University, St. Paul, MN

           Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA

           Marietta College, Marietta, OH

           Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT

 

Prize Awards:

1960   Gold Medal, Watercolor                Audubon Artists, New York City

           Gold Medal, Oil                             Hudson Valley Art Association

1961   Gold Medal, Watercolor                Allied Artists of America, New York City

           National Art Club Prize                 New York City

1962   First Prize, Watercolor                  Silvermine Annual, All New England

           Burns Award                                 Berkshire Art Association

1963   First Prize, Watercolor                  Connecticut Watercolor Society

1964   John Vellum Award, Watercolor           Silvermine Annual, All New England

1965   First Prize, Watercolor                  Connecticut Watercolor Society

           First Prize                                      Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield MA

           Osborn Memorial Award               American Watercolor Society, NYC

           First Prize, Plaza 7 Arts Festival           Hartford CT

1967   Top Award                                    Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield MA

1968   First Watercolor Prize                   Silvermine Annual, All New England

1969   William Paton Prize                       National Academy of Design, NYC

           William Burns Award                     Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield MA

1972   First Prize, Watercolor                  Connecticut Watercolor Society

1973   Carolyn Stern Award                     American Watercolor Society, NYC

 

Purchase Awards:

1958   Eastern States Exhibition, West Springfield, MA

1959   Rothchild Purchase, New York City

1960   Rothchild Purchase, New York City

1961   Burndy Purchase Prize, Silvermine Annual, All New England

1962   Butler Institute, Youngstown, OH

1964   Ranger Fund Purchase, National Academy, New York City

1965   Williams College Purchase Award, Williamstown, MA

1965   DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

1969   Ranger Fund Purchase, National Academy, New York City

 

Invitational Awards:

1962, 1963, 1964 New Talent New England, DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

1970   Humanism in New England, DeCordova Museum, Lincoln, MA

1974   Connecticut Drawing Exhibition, Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT

 

One Man Shows:

1962   New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT

1964   Country Art Gallery, Long Island, NY

           Silvermine Guild, New Canaan, CT

           Union College, Schenectady, NY

1965   Country Art Gallery, Long Island, NY

           Worlds’ Fair, New England Pavilion, NY

1966   Main Street Galleries, Chicago, IL

1967   New Britain Museum of American Art, New Britain, CT

           Shore Galleries, Boston, MA

           Main Street Galleries, Chicago, IL

1970   Silvermine Guild, New Canaan, CT

1974   Slater Memorial Museum, Norwich, CT

1980, 1986, 1991 P.S. Galleries, Ogunquit, ME

1989, 1990, 1991 Arts Exclusive, Avon and Simsbury, CT

1993   Carolyn Hill Gallery, New York City

1994   Green Galleries, Guilford, CT

           Deering Galleries, Portland, ME

1995   Paris and New York, Kent Galleries, Kent, CT

1996   Van Ward Gallery, Boston, MA

1997   Randall Tuttle Fine Arts, Woodbury, CT

1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Bachelier- Cardonsky Gallery, Kent, CT

1998, 1999 Polonaise Gallery, Woodstock, VT

2000   Van Ward Gallery, Ogunquit, ME

2015   Retrospective, Bowersock Gallery, Provincetown, MA

2016   Retrospective, Van Ward Gallery, Ogunquit, ME