Welcome to Bill Schaefer Fine Art!
November 20, 2018Creativity has always been a passion of mine. I am inspired by the beauty of this world and seek to express it in watercolor and mixed media paintings. I invite you to share in these expressions of joy.
Nature’s Palette
Following my involvement in the Watercolor Society of North Carolina’s 2024 Annual Exhibition, I was inspired to “paint large and complicated” after seeing the amazing paintings from artists across our state. I sought inspiration from a favorite source – nature.…
Boarding the Governor’s Island Ferry
When I was in high school, my dad was stationed at Governor’s Island in New York City harbor. Governor’s Island was a Coast Guard base and a unique place to live. Just off the tip of Manhattan and across from…
Before My Morning Coffee
This painting was a delightful experiment with textures and colors. Dry brush on rough paper, splattering paint with a toothbrush and scratching with a knife combined with the wonderful interplay of watercolor pigments on paper. Note that the back of…
Winter Glow
One of the features of watercolor painting that attracted me from photography is the freedom it offers to imagine and compose scenes. Certainly, with advances in digital image editing and AI assistance, that gap is closing. However, it is appealing…
McFarland Farms
On my way to Durham I frequently pass McFarland Farms. My mom grew up on a farm in Connecticut and my many happy memories has always given me a special interest in farms. There was something very familiar about this…
“Under Construction”
Despite the oppressive weight of the pandemic, my hometown of Durham, NC has continued to grow and change. I took the reference photos for this painting in April 2021 while walking downtown near the historic Durham Athletic Park. I thought…
West Main
Continuing my fascination with images of our Durham downtown, this painting is of a portion of West Main Street. I was inspired by the interesting architecture and colors of the buildings along with the diversity of businesses. This small (8×10)…
Reflections
This painting captures a special moment of reflection following the passing of his mom. In a beautiful way, the tattoos on his arms tell the story of a life’s journey and the devotional he holds speaks to the peace that…
Mom’s Azaleas
For Mother’s Day this year I painted my mom’s favorite view of her azaleas out her kitchen window. By the time Mother’s Day rolled around the azaleas had faded so it was a nice reminder of their beauty. I normally…
Saltbox Seafood Joint
One of the local Durham “gems” is the Saltbox Seafood Joint owned by Chef Ricky Moore. Born and raised here in NC, Chef Ricky employs his creative culinary skills to offer a variety of seafood dishes to delight his customers.…
Bali Beach Sunset
My daughter shared a vacation photo from a trip to Bali that was a much needed escape from the winter here in Durham. I was inspired by the whimsical scene of beanbag chairs on the beach and the rich saturated…
