William Alexander (television painter)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
William Alexander (1915, East Prussia - 1997) began his art career painting murals and decorating carriages for the German aristocracy. Except for a few formal lessons at an art school in Canada, Alexander was a self-taught artist.
Alexander's love and enjoyment of painting took him on the road at age 50. He traveled throughout the United States and Canada with his wife, Margarete, teaching art and painting. During this time, he modified traditional oil painting methods by developing his own thick, rich paints. These paints allowed him to layer colors over one another without waiting for the first layer to dry. This method is a version of direct or alla prima painting.
These paints, with his specially designed tools, established the Alexander Wet-on-Wet Technique and enabled artists to complete an oil painting in one sitting. After appearing on numerous U.S. public television shows (including "The Magic of Oil Painting" and "The Art of Bill Alexander"), Alexander became known as the "Happy Painter." He later moved with his wife to the mountains of Canada, amid the beautiful landscape he enjoyed painting so much.
Television painter Bob Ross of The Joy of Painting and Robert Warren, of "The Art of Robert Warren" and "Robert Warren's Art Loft," are former students of William Alexander who have gone on to host their own television programs and further develop Alexander's famous "wet-on-wet" style of oil painting.
