ABOUT WILLIAM ROGERS
“My work is a piece of my life experiences interpreted through paint, no more, no less.”
This concise quote from Nova Scotia artist William Rogers best signifies how he approaches his award-winning art. His subjects; mostly horses, people and landscapes are visualized masterfully by his approach to light and colour. Rogers exceptional handling of watercolours and oils have been exhibited with major watercolour societies and exhibitions in Canada and the United States.
Bill, an elected member of the Canadian Society of Painters in Watercolour (CSPWC) served as president from 2012 to 2014 and signature member of the American Watercolor Society. He started painting in university while studying mathematics and education, selling his work at local galleries. In 1993 he eventually moved to painting full-time after a successful career as a public educator, and is now most notably a plein air artist: landscapes of Bermuda, Cuba, California, Vermont, Maryland and Texas painted onsite and outdoors have all garnered Bill recognition.
A career highlight came in 2014 when Bill served as the Royal Tour Artist for then HRH Prince Charles, now HM King Charles III, and the Duchess of Cornwall who completed a four-day Canadian visit that included Halifax, Pictou County and Prince Edward Island. Several of Bill’s works completed during that tour are now in HRH’s Royal art collection and on display along with selections from 42 other artists who served as tour artists between 1985 and 2025. The exhibition, “The Art of Royal Travel, Journeys with the King” runs through September 28, 2025 at Buckingham Palace.
Bill’s Open Water 100 work “Mountain Tractor” was captured while attending the Mountain Maryland Plein Air Competition and Exhibition, on a hill near Frostburg, Maryland. This signature event hosted in Cumberland, MD provides ample subject material, from historic streets to the scenic vistas of Allegany and Garrett counties.
Bill lives in Antigonish, Nova Scotia and manages to capture the landscape there once or twice a week on canvas. He teaches art part-time at St. Francis Xavier University, as well as privately.
Weekly until September 9, read about the six Maritime artists featured in the Open Water 2025 exhibition organized by the Canadian Society of Water Colour Painters, on display from September 11 to October 2.