Born and bred in Southern Maryland, George recently relocated to the rural mountains of West Virginia. After almost 45 years of living around the waterways of the Chesapeake Bay, the artist longed for the unhurried pace of life he remembered from his childhood. The influence of his family history of light-keepers, watermen and ship builders, and a love of the water and rural scenery, will continue to be reflected in his work. The 69-acre mountain farm where the artist now resides, along with the many streams and rivers found in the West Virginia hills, will incorporate beautifully with the rural landscapes and maritime scenes he is so well known for.


Throughout his school years, George’s interest and pursuit of painting grew and he finished his first mural at a local marina at the age of 17. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland in 1980, George went to work at the U.S. Naval Air Test Center at Patuxent River, Maryland, as a graphic artist/illustrator. While employed there, George completed numerous illustrations and larger-format oil paintings. His last project was a mural measuring 12’ x 20’ and hangs in the foyer of the Officer’s Club at the Patuxent Test Center. George left the Test Center in 1987 to pursue his art full-time.

For the past 17 years, George has been working in many mediums – although he concentrates primarily on watercolor and pencil. He has completed several murals, including one measuring 7’ x 20’ at the St. Clements Island-Potomac River Museum that depicts the first landing of the colonists in Maryland. Recently he has been producing works in conté and oil on canvas. Recognized mostly for his maritime subjects, George also enjoys painting scenes of farms and the countryside.

George exhibits his work in various galleries and print shops throughout the country and on his website at www.georgemcwilliams.com. He also displays his work at the annual Waterfowl Festival in Easton, Maryland and Oxford Fine Arts Fair in Oxford, Maryland.

When he is not in his studio painting, you can find George gathering reference material in his canoe on the many available streams and waterways or camping and hiking in Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.