One of the greatest artists to live and paint in the Florida Keys was Millard Wells. Wells was a great painter in all mediums, but was among giants when it came to his watercolor paintings.
He was an accomplished member of the American Watercolor Society and the founder of the Florida Watercolor Society. Besides his many artistic achievements, Wells, an avid fisherman, loved the Keys community. Wells passed away in 2012.
When my first child was old enough, I took him to the Indian Key Festival, and it was there where I first met Wells. He was at the dock with his trademark glasses, a white button-up sporting shirt and a handkerchief tied stylishly around his neck.
By the time I met Wells he’d already made a name for himself as an Upper Keys painting legend. He was full of energy, spoke to me about life and gave me advice about art. He had an old-world type of personality and he helped a lot of artists who would come into his circle. He painted in a plein air style and held watercolor classes to teach his award-winning style to anyone who wanted to learn.
In 1966, Wells was invited by a friend to come down to the Keys. It was the first time he encountered the lovely islands. After the visit, Wells grew tired of the cold Chicago winters and moved down to the Keys in 1968. He fell in love with the Keys, the natural wild beauty and the colorful characters who inhabit the islands.
His artwork captures the iconography of the community, from the Key West-style architecture to the old pioneer houses in the Upper Keys. He painted Keys locals and their occupations – shrimpers, fishermen and cigar makers. He celebrated the Keys culture by painting tarpon, bonefish and sailfish. His watercolors let viewers know what it felt like to live in a wild landscape with overgrown trees, clear waters and spoonbills or herons passing by.
Wells’ paintings often carry deeper thought beneath their beautiful veneers, and many of his paintings are based on his studies of Keys history. If you get a chance, take the time to look at his paintings — there are still many of them displayed throughout the Keys. Millard left a tremendous legacy in his portrayals of island life.
