County, as are sandhill cranes in Buffalo County. His Chimney Rock painting
representing Morrill County was reminiscent of a time when settlers spoke
about seeing this iconic landmark for the first time and felt like they had
made it to the West.
Yet there remains a personal touch to Williams's work as well. "My two
interests are shooting pool and art," Williams said with a grin. "I fell in love
with an old photo of the Lexington Hotel in Dawson County," the result being
a romanticized version of this place and time.
This theme repeats itself throughout Williams's work, work that he might
not have ever accomplished if not for a high school art teacher named David
Jorgensen. "I feel like I've been given a lot by my instructors, like Jorgensen,
who inspired me to go to college for art. At the time, when others were
like 'How are you going to make a living being an artist?' Jorgensen saw
something in me and told me I needed to pursue this. And now I just want to
inspire the next generation of artists in Nebraska."
■
MARCH 2017 • NEBRASKAland 33
