"William DeNew: No Apology for Changing Styles"
by Claire Emery

If you like looking at pictures, do what I did last week. I dropped into Central Library to see the Hamilton Contemporary Artists show and found Burlington artist William DeNew, a member of the group, mounting guard.

He and fellow artists are taking turns in the library's multi-purpose room, talking to the people who come to view the exhibit.

He was art director for E. L. Ruddy for many years and is now with Jones Signs.

A resident of Burlington for the past 5 years, he used to live on the Beach, where he got to know another fine local artist, John Hanson. Both are members of the Burlington Guild of Arts, which is preparing its annual show.

I asked Bill DeNew a few of the questions I've always wanted to ask an artist.

• Gazette: Are these four pictures you have in this show typical of your style ?

• DeNew: I paint in phases. These are fairly conventional. I spend a great deal of time with abstracts. In winter time when I can't get out of doors, I paint literary or religious subjects.

• Gazette: Then you don't have one consistent style ?

• DeNew: I used to worry about that, but not any more. I find myself with a central idea, like a wheel with spokes going off. I paint in one style and then feel something else gripping me and move to something else.

  There is a theory that says an artist should be known by a certain style. But I agree with the philosopher William James who said, "we are many selves." It used to concern me, trying to be consistent. Now I don't feel it is hypocracy to change. Under different conditions we are different persons.

• Gazette: Which of your styles sells best ?

• DeNew: I never really know why a painting sells. I've sold quite a lot of abstracts to university students and young people.

• Gazette: How do you determine your prices ?

• DeNew: I never could figure that out. I have tried many things. I know I would rather sell at rediculuous prices if people would buy them. I don't think paintings should be stored up. And if the right person wanted a painting very much, I'd make concessions.

  It's hard to determine the ammount of time that goes into a painting. It's on and off. You stop and come back to it. Then there is time-consuming jobs like fixing frames.

• Gazette: Do you have any paintings at home you wouldn't sell ?

• DeNew: Yes, I have one I did early in my career that's a favourite and I keep for old times sake. Then there are portraits of my family.

• Gazette: How do you decide what pictures to put in a show like this ?

• DeNew: Well I know what my fellow artists are going to do and try to be different. For instance, Aline Banting would be doing portraits, so what's the point of doing them too ? I do a lot of water colour, but Betty Hendrie does this. Hugh Robertson (the group's president), said each of us would put in four paintings and gave me four numbers. Then he asked me what names I'd have for the pictures so I quickly had to decide what to do.

• Gazette: Do you paint from sketches ?

• DeNew: I work from pencil sketches and colour notes. But not directly. I put them aside. A painting should have some kind of spirit.

  I have reams of sketch books but also a memory. An artist is always looking, building up his memory. Nature is always changing so you have to train your memory, recording, letting details soak in.

"If you could have any paintings in the room, which yould you choose ?" Gazette photographer Gary Anderson asked me.

"Easy, Betty Scale Hendrie's flowers." But it was sold. I forgot to ask Gary's choice.