The still life work of William Shepherd concentrates not only on the everyday object, but also the concept of seeing these items from a new, insightful perspective. Using his personal collection of Native American material, Western artifacts, tourist memorabilia, and feed sacks he creates links between cultures and Western kitsch. His paintings perpetuate a sense of vibrancy and harmony, making significant statements about contemporary views of the West.
Streambed Paintings
Since early childhood I’ve been mesmerized by fractured light and the way it moves forms around in clear mountain streams. Although seemingly playful, and certainly beautiful to look at, capturing and painting the movement of flowing water has presented me with a variety of challenges, the most stubborn of these being: How do you stop and paint a moment in time while simultaneously giving that very moment the impression of action? A painting of nothing but actively flowing water can be quite beautiful but it can also be abstract to the point of losing its identity. Being a realist painter and thus believing in identity, I have found that adding in elements of resistance to the flow increases both identity and movement and makes sense out of the reflected and refracted light. –William Shepherd
Shepherd's paintings can be found in major collections throughout the United States, Mexico, Europe and Japan. His work was included in the exhibit Out West, the Great American Landscape, which traveled to the National Art Museum of China in Beijing and the Shanghai Museum. He has been invited to numerous American museum shows including the Tucson Museum of Art, Eiteljorg Museum, Arnot Art Museum, Rockwell Museum, and the New Mexico Museum of Art. He is in the collections of the Tucson Museum of Art, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Alabama, and the Butler Institute of American Art, Ohio, just to name a few.
By invitation, Shepherd has exhibited at the Prix de West, National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum; The West Select, Phoenix Art Museum; Masters of the American West, Autry National Center and the Coors Western Art Exhibit & Sale, Denver.
