Original Oil Paintings William Oistad
For as long as I can remember, I have always enjoyed many interests that I rarely find myself at a loss for something to do. Growing up in a house with five children certainly increases one’s odds of finding a playmate, yet when none were available I had no problem occupying my days with invented games or detailed investigations of our surrounding yard or woods nearby. I, like most young children, reveled in the act of discovery and testing the possibilities of numerous visual variations. For me, creative energy is very much like the flow of water: always moving, changing speeds, gaining momentum and then turning in on oneself within an eddy before continuing along its path. The enduring sense of accomplishment of c reating someth ing v isual l y “new” bec ame th e driv ing forc e th at l ed me away from y ears of representational artwork, toward abstract creations built on the foundation of personal artistic reflection and experimentation. As a painter, I continue to embrace the traditions of Abstraction as a vehicle to express the essence of ‘exploration’ through layering and refining the painted surface with line, form and color. I am drawn to the spontaneous generation of forms and lines, and allow my hand to be guided by the moment and intuition as a continual process of action and reaction. I strive to give myself the freedom to “take a line for a walk” at any given moment in the painting process. My visual aesthetic leads me to the subtle implication of familiar forms, leaving enough ambiguity to invite multiple references. Many of the recurring forms present in my paintings refer to my long!standing interest in the Physical and Behavioral Sciences and the many dualities that are revealed by these disciplines. In many of my current paintings, I investigate notions of duality and aspects of science through spatial division and contrasting areas of form and color that keep me continually engaged in the creative process.
www.oistadarts.com
847 431 3090 Cover: Hyper!Connected 41 x 71.5 oil and acrylic on canvas
bill@oistadarts.com
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Speaking In Tongues II
48 x 48 oil on board
Running In All Directions 29 x 39 oil and paper on panel
Inner Workings 41.75 x 49.75 oil on canvas
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The Poet 36 x 36 oil on canvas
Heredity!Generations Gone 30 x 48 oil and stain on canvas
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Split Personality 36 x 36 oil and paper on canvas
Harvest 22 x 27 oil on paper on board
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Reveal the Old...Savor the New 27 x 22 oil on paper on board
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Overcoming 24 x 37 oil on vinyl on board
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The Space Between Inbetween 10.75 x 11.75 mixed media on board
Speaking In Tongues 52 x 60 oil on canvas
Force 39 x 43.5 oil on panel
TRAINing Series
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TRAINing is my most recent series of paintings, stemming from a collection of drawings that I sketch while traveling on the train to and from my home to Chicago. These drawings closely mirror my general creative process of ACT and REACT, as free!form lines and shapes are made quickly with minimal predetermined outcome, allowing the pen to stray and loop with the least amount of conscious thought. I have tried to limit myself to the number of times that I will re!visit a drawing, opting for a more intuitive thought process, essentially trying to TRAIN myself to trust my instinctive mark making. The painted portions of these works are created with the same spontanteous mind, being a REACTION to the drawing in a quick and intuitive manner that strives to explore line and simple form. I’ve tried to limit both the color palette and the amount of time spent on finishing the painted areas in hopes of retaining the spirit of the series.
Family of Three 11 x 17 oil and paper on board
Major Mojo/ Carrying the Load 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
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Roundabout 17 x 11 oil on paper on board
Out of Chaos Comes... 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
First Contact 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
Turning In On Oneself 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
Lines of Experience 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
Looking Beyond 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
Primordium II 11 x 17 oil on paper on board
Golden Threads 21.25 x 31.25 oil on canvas
Primordium 38 x 48 oil on canvas
William Oistad ! Resumé Born in New Brunswick, NJ 1965 Studio and residence located in Wilmette, IL. Education MFA"Visual Arts from Clemson University, Clemson SC 1995. BA"Studio Arts from State University of New York College at Oswego 1991. BA"Psychology from State University of New York College at Oswego 1991. Honors and Awards Liquitex Excellence in Art: Emerging Artist of the Year, 1995 from Binney & Smith. Co. Purchase Award" Excellence in Art: Emerging Artist of the Year, 1995 from Binney & Smith. Co.
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Exhibitions 2011 Selected Artists " Artful Sol, Vail CO 2011 Visiting Artist" WSG Gallery, Ann Arbor MI 2009 Selected Artists"Main Gallery, Xanadu Gallery, Scottsdale AZ. 2009 Studio Artists" Online Gallery, Xanadu Gallery, Scottsdale AZ. 1998 Group Show, Main Gallery Company, Greenville SC. 1995 Masters Of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition, Rudolph E. Lee Gallery, Clemson University, Clemson SC. 1995 Liquitex Excellence in Art Student Grant Program’s Purchase Award Recipients. Exhibition, American Council for the Arts, New York, NY. International Jurors. 1994 Small Works"William Oistad and Tommy White, The Beanery, Clemson SC. 1993 The Digital Directions Group Show, Lee Hall Lower Gallery, Clemson University. Selected Collections Binney & Smith Co. Inc., Easton PA. Rudolph E. Lee Gallery, Clemson University, Clemson SC. Selected Publications Art in America, award winning artwork displayed in “Excellence in Art ! Liquitex Award Recipients,” New York, NY May 1995. From Imitation To Invention: A Journey Towards Abstraction. Thesis manuscript, Clemson University Press, Clemson SC 1995.
Original Oil Paintings William Oistad Š All Rights Reserved. 2011 www.oistadarts.com bill@oistadarts.com