Bill McLane is a native New Englander, born in Fall River, MA, and he began painting at age 16. Searching for apprenticeship in the style of the Old Masters he found little discipline at American Art Schools in the 1980s, and traveled to Munich, Germany, where he studied the techniques, palettes, and styles of the Old Masters in private ateliers.

McLane is a plein air artist in every sense of the word, drawing and painting exclusively out-of-doors to best capture a scene’s elusive light qualities. His work has been exhibited in Newport, Rhode Island, Block Island, and Martha’s Vineyard, his home for the last 15 years. His work has been shown and collected in Germany, France, Australia, and throughout the United States.

“My painting is simple,” he says. “It has to do with working the land and the sea and the overwhelming beauty that I see when I’m out painting every day. While painting outdoors on the Vineyard, Nantucket, and the Cape, throughout the year and at varying times of the day, I encounter what most people may not have the opportunity to experience, and work to capture its essence on canvas before it is lost.”