
Carly MacLaughlin, our intern from the College of Charleston School of the Arts, had the pleasure of sitting down with renowned marine and landscape artist William R. Davis Jr. for a candid interview about his life, inspirations, and creative process. Known for his oil paintings of historic vessels and atmospheric landscapes, Davis’s work reflects a deep connection to the past, from Cape Cod harbors to South Carolina’s iconic Morris Island Light. In this 12-question interview, Davis shares stories about growing up in a 1740s home, his admiration for artists like John Singer Sargent, and how he found his niche painting the boats of Hyannis Port. Dive into the full interview to learn what fuels this artist’s nostalgic vision and the stories behind his journey.
1. How do you choose your subjects? Is there something particular you look for in a maritime scene or landscape?

Because I am very nostalgic, most of my subjects pertain to early vessels and non-contemporary scenes. From buildings, homes, and landscapes, I prefer to paint something that is historic. I stay true to the old classics, just like I do in every aspect of my life. Our home on Cape Cod is all colonial, it’s like I live in the 1700’s. I also grew up in a house from 1740, I would wake up and my bedroom had snow in it in the morning. I am just nostalgic about the old days.
2. Last book you read?
Most of the time, it’s art books. I do not read novels, I have no interest in them. I am really interested in reading about the lives of artists, and the subjects that they chose. One of the books I was reading was about an artist I admired, and because of that, I met a man that worked at an art museum. And he said “well come up here and I’ll show you all these unfinished paintings”. I got to see them in progress, and to see and say to myself “ah this is how he did this.”
3. Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
I wouldn’t say becoming famous—that’s not something I was looking for. But it amazes me that, wherever I go, people say, “I love your work.” They are so excited to meet me, and I am just thinking “Well I am pretty much a recluse.” What I’m really proud of is that a number of paintings I have produced were bought by very good collectors. These collectors were specialized on very expensive American paintings and they took me in and I was able to become part of their collection. I thought “Wow! They had paintings worth a million dollars,” and they thought I’d work well in their collection too.
4. How do you take your coffee?
Caffeinated, light cream a bit of sugar.
5. Are there any habits or rituals you do that may have affected your art or creative process?
I’m a workaholic—I’m in the studio probably six days a week. This is my passion and I have to follow it. That’s how you get to this level, by your constant devotion to it. People ask, “How did you get to this level?”, it’s just from painting constantly. I keep pushing myself, always chasing that next level.
6. If you could spend a day in the studio with one artist, dead or alive, who would it be?
For just pure love of an artist who just paints in a way that blows me away, I’d have to say Sargent. If I had the chance to talk to him, I’d love to, this is a man that could just sit down and paint anything.

7. What are the three most used pigments on your pallet?
Yellow okra, a mixture of whites- zinc and titanium, and the third color that I use a lot is indigo blue. All these skies are done in indigo blue, and that’s an old color. A lot of artists have used it, especially the Dutch, which is why I brought it back into my palette. The Dutch used it for a lot of their nocturnes. I was at a show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Dutch exhibit, looking at the paintings, and thinking, “That’s indigo!”. That’s an old color, and you don’t see many people using it these days.
8. Where is your favorite place to be?

My favorite place has always been up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, right near Mt. Washington. I’ve been going up there right since I graduated high school. There is a whole contingency of artists who painted up there, it’s the White mountain school. None of them were the greatest painters, although there were a few that have become national. But they were all painting the local scenery up there, and you know it’s just beautiful. Everyone talks about the mountains out west, like the Rockies—they’re cool, but they are just kind of rugged mountains. I like the softness of The White Mountains.
9. If you weren’t an artist, what would you be doing?
I probably would have stayed in construction. While working for my father before my art took off, I passed all my licenses. I’m quite good with electrical work—I can fix just about anything. I’ve always had a mechanical mind. I also have a lot of antique cars, and I do all the engine work myself.
10. What was the defining moment of your artistic career?
The Mystic Maritime Museum built a new art gallery, and they had a whole stable of artists to choose from. But they asked me to do a one man show, and I thought, “Wow! I just jumped to the top of the list!”

11. How do you get through artistic burn out?
I do other things. I’ll take a few days to work on a different project. Burnout happens, so I just have to step away from the gallery for a bit. After a few days off, I can come back, re-evaluate, and fix whatever wasn’t working.
12. How did you find your niche?
Started because I grew up around water and sailing. I did paintings of Kennedy’s boats. Then, all the people in Hyannis Port wanted paintings of their boats. It became so popular everybody was coming over and buying my paintings, and it spread around the cape. I was doing portraits of people’s boats, all kinds of boats, and you know what happened? My prices eventually made the paintings more expensive than the boats themselves.