ARTIST STATEMENT
Just as music can calm, entertain and inspire us through our auditory senses, couldn't art and especially coloralso be thought of as 'music' for our eyes?
As a composer of music arranges sounds employing notes, phrasing, rhythm and harmony to create a composition, an artist, in like manner, arranges a composition using line, shape, rhythm, harmony, texture and color to create a visual experience that can also calm, excite and entertain, etc.
My paintings, like the art of James McNeil Whistler, are painted for the sake of art and nothing more. I am interested in using colors to simply celebrate their existence and how they affect us and contribute to our psychological and spiritual well-being.
If my colors can produce a sense of joy, pleasure, contentment, or satisfaction, then I feel my intentions and efforts have succeeded. Color really doesn't need any explaining because it just is what it is and speaks for itself.
ARTIST BIO
William Kenneth Laursen (nickname “Mr. Bill”) b. 2-26-1948 Standardville,
Carbon County, Central Utah
Raised in Salt Lake City and Brigham City, Utah Graduated Box Elder High School.
Attended Utah State University with a scholarship in art, 1966. Studied with Harrison Groutage, Everett Thorpe and Gaell Lindstrom - graduated with a BFA and composite major in Art and Art Education – 1972
Influential art teacher at Cottonwood High School 1972-2005
Granite School District 'Teacher of the Year” 1986
Developed 'Cool Winter Games' student art project for the Utah
Winter Olympics 2002
Cottonwood High School Art Dept. chair, 1974 – 2003 (retired 2005)
Art instructor for the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (U of U) since 2007
Member of the Salt Lake County Art Acquisition Committee
Recognized for working mainly in watercolor and acrylics.
Bill Laursen's artwork is found in many private and public collections.