Artist. A well-respected artist and teacher known particularly for his scenes of the New England coast. In paintings, etchings, and drawings, he evoked the power of the sea with clean, gestural lines that suggest rather than reproduce. He showed a talent for art early in his life, winning second prize in a Lynn contest for amateurs in 1880. While carrying a full course load at MIT in mechanical engineering, Woodbury enrolled in a watercolor class taught by Ross Turner. He also took classes at the Boston Art Club and became the youngest person ever elected to its membership. In 1886, after graduating from MIT, Woodbury began his art career in earnest. He rented a studio on School Street in Boston, where he taught art classes and produced commercial illustrations. In 1898, Woodbury bought property in Ogunquit, Maine, and settled his family in a new home and studio he built overlooking Perkins Cove. It was here that he founded the "Ogunquit Summer School." The school became well-known and helped establish Ogunquit's reputation as an art colony. Nearly one hundred artists, both beginners and professionals, studied under him each summer. Woodbury chose the ocean (specifically the coast of Maine) as his classroom. But it was his infatuation with the idea of motion, as much as his love for nature that fueled his passion for this particular spot. "Paint in verbs not in nouns," Woodbury would tell his students.
Artist. A well-respected artist and teacher known particularly for his scenes of the New England coast. In paintings, etchings, and drawings, he evoked the power of the sea with clean, gestural lines that suggest rather than reproduce. He showed a talent for art early in his life, winning second prize in a Lynn contest for amateurs in 1880. While carrying a full course load at MIT in mechanical engineering, Woodbury enrolled in a watercolor class taught by Ross Turner. He also took classes at the Boston Art Club and became the youngest person ever elected to its membership. In 1886, after graduating from MIT, Woodbury began his art career in earnest. He rented a studio on School Street in Boston, where he taught art classes and produced commercial illustrations. In 1898, Woodbury bought property in Ogunquit, Maine, and settled his family in a new home and studio he built overlooking Perkins Cove. It was here that he founded the "Ogunquit Summer School." The school became well-known and helped establish Ogunquit's reputation as an art colony. Nearly one hundred artists, both beginners and professionals, studied under him each summer. Woodbury chose the ocean (specifically the coast of Maine) as his classroom. But it was his infatuation with the idea of motion, as much as his love for nature that fueled his passion for this particular spot. "Paint in verbs not in nouns," Woodbury would tell his students.
Bio by: Eric Thomsen
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