Pictured is the artwork “Rosie” by Billy Dee Williams. Photo provided.

By Darla McCammon and DeeAnna Muraski

Did you like the movie “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back”? Do you remember who was the administrator of Cloud City in that movie? Well, we did not either but not surprisingly, since it recently celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2020. Billy Dee Williams was 42 years old when he played Lando Calrissian in the famous Star Wars trilogy. Movies that made names like Darth Vader, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, C-3PO and Obi-Wan Kenobi internationally know produced cult-like followings. These movies became huge money makers, with box office numbers in the $400 million plus range. Billy Dee Williams was definitely able to buy his art supplies with his income from acting.

Williams is now 85 years old and has starred in 71 movies, yet still has an amazing allegiance to his work as an artist. Born and raised in Harlem with his twin sister, Loretta, Williams’ birth name was William December Williams Jr. The twins were born on April 6, 1937.

Williams was fortunate to go to a high school ahead of its time. The school, Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art, focused specifically on art and music. Due to this intense-focused schooling, he secured a painting scholarship to the esteemed National Academy of Fine Arts and Design. Later, he would also attend a Harlem Actor’s workshop but his first love was art.

Williams works in acrylics, as do many modern artists. His paint is applied in various thicknesses depending on the subject but it usually ends up on stretched and primed canvas. He uses an occasional airbrush along with the traditional brushes, which softens the overall effect. His use of an airbrush is indicative of his willingness to experiment and try new ways to portray his work, even at age 85. He has produced some very unusual pieces in 3D that are mixed media and include such off-the-wall items as ceramic shards and neon lighting effects. Currently, he has a piece entitled “Monumental” for sale on the Internet listed at $50,000. There are 48 individual canvasses bonded together, creating a cacophony of subjects.

The painting of celebrity “Rosie” illustrates his mastery of the very fickle airbrush. His perspective of the bench and figure is spot-on. The colors and textures provide a tropical feel, balancing the cool blue tones with bright red accents. Interestingly, he chose to define the woman’s face while keeping the rest of the painting loose and illusory. For someone who once tried to conquer the dark galaxy in Star Wars, he has definitely conquered the art world.

Unfortunately, Williams’ personal life held triumphs as well as tragedies. The “Ol’ Smoothie” from Star Wars has been married three times and candidly speaks about his depression upon the failure of those marriages. Thankfully, his art helped him survive and the fact that his work is in galleries across America and his art exhibitions are popular around the globe, has bolstered him.

Williams was interviewed and said, “I am an artist no matter what I do. I live for creativity. I think everyone should. It is the antithesis of being destructive.”