Mad Art Inc.

I’d like to introduce W. Edward Edmonston (Bill) who is a MAD Art Gallery artist and has been a resident of Hamilton, NY for 46 years…

I began serious painting about 10 years ago when Ray Sobel (a local artist now painting in North Carolina) urged me to try painting as a retirement activity.

I began serious painting about 10 years ago when Ray Sobel (a local artist now painting in North Carolina) urged me to try painting as a retirement activity.

Although primarily self-taught, my early training (one basic painting course and two studio courses) was at Munson-Williams-Proctor School of Art, Utica, NY. An Easterner by birth and rearing and not a stranger to the greens and blues of the East, I have cast a number of my paintings in the mesmerizing reds and ochres set afire by the ever present sunlight of the American West. Even in “Tools,” a trompe l’oeil of the simple implements used in everyday house maintenance, I have capitalized on a predominantly earth pallet, born of the western influence.

I work primarily in oil (water soluble) on canvas, although I have done some works in acrylic paints, graphite, pen and ink and colored pencil. Though I have tried different styles, I prefer contemporary realism, using both smoothly blended (as seen in the old masters) and impasto techniques (as exemplified by Emile Gruppé).

Inspiration comes primarily from the visual world around me, although some of my work grows out my knowledge of history, through which I attempt to create a visual image of an historical event.

Can You tell us about your writings?

While I was on the Colgate University faculty, I produced three books (“Hypnosis and Relaxation”, “The Induction of Hypnosis”, “Conceptual and Investigative Approaches to Hypnosis and Hypnotic Phenomena”) and over 55 professional articles. In addition, I have published “Unfurl the Flags, Remembrances of the American Civil War” and two mystery novels (“The Strange Case of Mr. Nobody” and “The Case of the Hidden Dentures”). A third mystery novel (“The Detective Who Couldn’t Quit”) is about to go to the publisher.

I neither prefer painting nor writing. I try to give each equal time and effort in my day. My preferred schedule is to write in the mornings and paint in the afternoons.

What advice could you share with aspiring artists?

I would advise aspiring painters to start with a few (very few) basic courses in composition, color, values and drawing skills at a reputable School of Art. Then much of the rest is self taught. Above all, paint, paint, paint, and do not restrict your subject matter. (The same is true for aspiring writers: get a few basic academic courses, then write, write, write.) Unless you are trying to make a living at painting, paint only what you want. If you have to make a living, paint what you want when you are not doing commissions to put bread on the table.

How has the MAD Art gallery helped you and your art?

MADART has put me in touch with different artists using different styles and different technics. New and different ideas grow out of such exposure and my own work benefits. MADART offers to the community an exposure to art that would not otherwise be possible in a village the size of Hamilton. Our community impact will be even greater when we can move our gallery space above ground.

Do you exhibit your work anywhere else?

My paintings have been included in juried regional shows in Little Falls, Norwich, Clinton, Old Forge, Rome, Utica and Cooperstown, NY.; juried national shows in Cooperstown, NY; and are in private collections in Philadelphia; New York City; Virginia Beach; Munich, Germany; and the Central New York area. As a member of the Blind Artists Society my works show annually in the Society’s shows (Albany, 2009; Troy, 2010; Cooperstown, 2011)

Where can we find more of your work?

My works can be seen by appointment at The Little Gallery, 1841 Preston Hill Road, Hamilton, NY 13346. Contact information: 315-824-1965; email: billnell@verizon.net; web site: TheLittleGallery.org.

Thank You Bill!