Daddy-Daughter Time Includes Creating Art Together

Daddy-Daughter Time Includes Creating Art Together

Street art beginnings in Los Angeles have led William Atkinson on a journey into fine art and a return to his hometown of Highland Park.

Settling in the Park Cities with his family, Atkinson now enjoys sharing his art with his young daughter and drawing inspiration from her budding creativity.

Having had his work exhibited in Paris, Milan, New York, LA, and Miami, he is represented by Erin Cluley Gallery here in Dallas.

“A combination of abstract expressionism, street art, graffiti, reappropriation of imagery, typography,” is how he describes his evolved present work.

(READ: Artistic St. Mark’s Teacher Shifts from Graffiti to Gallery Work)

Since his 2017 return to Dallas, he has incorporated his home studio into his family life.

“I share the space with my wife, daughter, and dog,” he noted. “The whole family can come in and interact.”

And 5-year-old daughter Henrietta loves getting into the act.

“She’s much more creative than I am,” Atkinson said, laughing. “I’m constantly in awe of what she comes up with. From a very early age she’s been a part of my art process. In a few early paintings I incorporated wallpaper from her nursery into the background, just as a gentle and subtle reminder that she’s in those pieces. Even at under one year old, she would connect with my painting and stare at it and nod her head and take it all in, almost as if she knew it was mine.”

As she has grown, Atkinson has provided her with a roll of paper to pull down the wall, so she can create alongside her artistic father.

“She comes to all my openings,” he said. “When we’re in New York we take her to galleries and art fairs. She gets a full, immersive artistic experience.”

Might Henrietta follow in her father’s artistic footsteps?

“It’s hard to say,” he said. “Especially since her dad does it, she might think it’s incredibly uncool. But right now, you can see a hugely creative streak in her. “She’s a part of me, so she’s in of everything I do,” he said of Henrietta’s inspiration. “She’s a part of all my processes. As an artist, you’re always pouring your heart and soul into something, and she’s part of that. So, she’s ever-present in the work and with me all the time.”