The Complete Guide to Go: Galleries and Antiques

Tucked into the fourth floor of a Boylston Street building, the St. George Gallery is bright and unfettered. Its owner, artist William St. George, is known for his vivid outdoor depictions of Boston and other regions of New England. In the exhibition space, massive seascapes hang next to stylized portraits (some of celebrities, some not), and many portrayals of horses, a favorite subject of St. George. Filled with fat brushstrokes, his work often combines oil paint with acrylics and demonstrates a passion for color and movement.

Inspired Brushwork - William St. George
by Sarah Crampton

The spirit of the horse is left untamed on the canvas of William St. George. Emerging from washes of color and broad gestured brushstrokes, he reveals his passion and admiration for the horse's independent nature.

In his recent work, St. George has focused on the horse in motion which he feels is one of the best examples of pure power and grace. Often the background is composed of gestures, allowing a subtle environment in which the horses exist. The large scale of his work is also impressive to the viewer with canvas sizes averaging 40"x50".

"You have to know what a horse is, not just the anatomy," St. George comments, "and you need to have a feeling for the spirit of the horse."

William St. George has been painting for over 40 years, however he has been drawn to the power and beauty of horses since early childhood. In grammar school he had notebooks filled with horse sketches and he saved his money to pay for riding lessons.

St. George has been displaying his work since 1999 at his gallery on Newbury Street in Boston, Massachusetts. The St. George Gallery has expanded to the entire first floor of the 19th century brownstone building where John Singer Sargent used to have a painting studio on the top floor. While best known for his portraits, Sargent was an accomplished landscape artist and muralist and was also incredibly prolific. He has been a great source of inspiration for Bill St. George.

"The ability to produce hundreds of successful watercolor and oil painting is most fascinating to me." notes St. George. "Some people might think that working with speed would be a negative for an artist, but I find it a real positive." Like many artists, St. George is able to zone out his environment while painting to immerse himself in his work.

This year St. George was honored to be chosen as the official artist of the Menlo Charity Horse Show in California where his painting Lipizzaner will be featured on all of the show's promotional materials. Although well known for his equestrian paintings, Bill St. George has also gained recognition for his cityscapes, swimmers, landscapes, abstracts and portraits.   

The bright buoyant paintings of William St. George capture the elegance of the horse in action with vigorous brushwork and rich inspired color. St. George states, "More than anything I try to give the brightest and purest notes to my color, as if the entire personality of the painting could be found in a single brush stroke. Painting is a process of discovery. When I create, paint is the master, and I am its vehicle to the world's eye."