Bill Lathrop
Primarily self-taught, Lathrop began painting at the University of Notre Dame in the fall of 1977 where a class in art exposed him to a world previously overlooked.  He continued to paint consistently.

Bill then began a series of occupations that eventually led to his return to college at the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater, where he earned a degree in Political Science with a minor in Accounting. He also studied art history, focusing on abstract expressionism.  After graduation (magna cum laude), Lathrop pursued traditional occupations until it became clear that painting was his true calling.  “I didn’t want art to be merely an activity relegated for retirement.  I have always wanted to pursue painting as intensely as possible and in the prime of my life.”  He has studied with California artist, Joseph Mendez; Florida artist, Thomas Buttner; and Wisconsin artists, Mary Diman and Kelli Hoppmann.  Lathrop's work has been exhibited in galleries, restaurants, public spaces and art festivals and is part of collections throughout the United States. [ continued ]

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Bill works from his studio in Evansville, Wisconsin, and on location, painting from life, throughout the country.  He is a member of the Oil Painters of America.

Bill’s Philosophy:
My exploration of painting is a sensuous expression of interacting with what I see - and ultimately a confrontation with being alive in the world.  I turned to the landscape with the goal of becoming a better painter – technically.  In my study and exploration, I found the philosophies of realism and the plein air tradition nourishing, with surprising depth, and it has remained my focus.

My vision as an artist is to capture the essence of place, that combination of color and light unique to each part of the country, while at the same time creating a painterly surface with abstract qualities.  In doing so, the painting takes on layers of meaning and visual interest.  I use a relatively strong palette, and often rely on the harmonies of the secondary colors (green, orange and violet), commonly thought to be a sublime harmony. 

My work is evocative of the American Impressionists; those painters of the late 19th century who studied in France with Monet (and others).  They returned to America and synthesized the new French style of painting with the more classically inspired American traditions (Luminism and the Hudson River movement).  The result was a painterly approach, capturing the stately American landscape yet retaining the abstract properties of the paint surface.

Color is the dominant component in my painting.  Two philosophies guide my use of color.  First, I want to be true to the color of the subject.  Artistically, I am trying to recreate the experience of seeing and I find it is impossible to do so without being faithful to the colors of nature.  Second, using the metaphor that color is the flavor of painting, I use color like a chef reducing a stock to make a sauce.  The chef simmers the stock, reducing excess liquid and concentrating the flavors.