George McWilliams

A fascination for the water and the people who live and work on it are the driving force behind the work of George F. McWilliams. George has never had to go far for his inspiration and subject matter. The connection between artist and subject is deeply rooted in his family’s history as early inhabitants of southern Maryland. Both sides of his family built and sailed schooners, bugeyes, sloops and other working craft, and as a teenager George spent as much of his time on the water as possible, hunting and fishing.

After high school George received a BA Degree from the University of Maryland and in 1981 went to work at the U.S. Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland as a graphic artist. While working there he did numerous illustrations and murals, with his largest measuring 12′ x 20′. In 1987 George left his job to pursue his art full time.

Primarily known for his maritime works in watercolor and pencil, he also enjoys painting scenes of his rural countryside. George’s work has been well received by the public and is in private collections all over the country. George has twice placed in the top twenty for the Maryland Duck Stamp Competition, the President’s Choice Award at the Chesapeake Bay Foundation Art Show, Best in Show at the Southern Maryland Wildlife Exhibition, and the Mystic Seaport Museum Purchase Award at the Mystic International. George is a member of the American Society of Marine Artists.