July 5, 2018

Painter William Turner pursued his lifelong dream after retiring from 30 years in automotive restoration and now devotes himself entirely to drawing and painting. In July, his oil paintings will be on display in the Nashua Public Library Image Gallery.

Reinventing folklore

Turner’s intimate knowledge and love of machinery is evident in his work. In his paintings, he reinvents stories from Greek and Roman mythology and folklore, using distressed vehicles and other machinery as surrogates for humans.

Another theme of his works is vintage toys. His narrative realism style leaves it up to the viewer to interpret the meaning of the pieces.

After retiring, Turner earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in visual arts and painting. He has taught drawing and art history at Manchester Community College for nine years, which has inspired his reinvention of master works as well as ancient myths. He has received awards from the Allied Artists of America and the National Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic.

Artist’s reception

You can meet the artist at a reception in the library’s Image Gallery on Tuesday, July 24, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.