William Irvine (b. 1931) is an American painter whose career spans six
decades with the last four decades spent in Maine. Irvine's journey in
art began in the town of Troon on the Scottish coast, where he was
introduced to modern art through the collection of whiskey magnate
Johnnie Walker. After graduating from the Glasgow School of Art and
serving in the Scottish army, Irvine came of artistic age in London,
where he was a part of a lively avant-garde scene. Moving to downeast
Maine in 1968 proved a turning point: harbors, islands and boats, the
sea and the sky inspired bold work that combined Irvine's abstract
instincts with new pictorial concepts based on the landscape. In the
ensuing forty-plus years, Irvine has established himself as a Maine and
American master, known for his seascapes as well as enchanting
figurative paintings and still lifes.