In his Mount Olive studio, artist Winford Galmon — who goes by his first name professionally — explains how his style has evolved over the years. On the left is a finger-painting he created approximately 20 years ago when he was working in an ‘illustrative’ style. On the right is a recently-created abstract in the ‘fine art’ style he now prefers. (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
On this Tina Turner print, Winford uses a palette knife to demonstrate how he embellishes the print by applying paint to certain crucial areas, resulting in ‘an original in and of itself.’ (Kathy Grant Westbrook|mountolivetribune.com)
In this painting of Michael Jordan, Winford’s use of dominant red colors guides the viewer’s eye across the canvas, helping create tension as Jordan heads toward the rim. (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
Of this Batman painting, Winford says, ‘I’ve always loved drawing and painting the Caped Crusader in action.’ (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
This 2018 painting by Winford was commissioned by Ronald McDonald House Charities and the Coca-Cola Company. Prints of this painting were sold to raise money for the charity. (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
Taking its title — ‘The Hippest Trip in America’ — from Soul Train’s catchphrase, this Winford painting captures dancers on the iconic television show in action, their facial expressions conveying how much they love the music. (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
Here, Winford captures the historic moment Ruby Bridges attends her first day at Franz Elementary School in Louisiana, becoming the first Black student to attend the formerly all-White school. ‘I wanted the little girl to stand out from the cool background colors, so I painted her dress in red for the viewer’s eye to notice her innocence,’ explains Winford. (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
This painting (titled ‘Diversity’) ‘depicts the beauty of diverse cultures that make up our society,’ notes artist Winford. (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
Winford has gained renown for painting athletes from a variety of sports, including basketball, football, baseball, boxing, and golf. Here, he has captured golfing legend Tiger Woods. (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
In this upscale painting, Winford portrays an elegant young lady ‘checking out her watch to make sure she’s on schedule for her brunch.’ (Winford Galmon|Courtesy photo)
Most people, if setting out to paint a portrait, would skip right past the bright reds, blues, greens, and yellows in search of more “realistic” skin-tone colors, but not Winford Galmon. He goes for the brightest, most intense colors possible, which he then has the audacity to apply in thick, bold chunks — and, almost magically, the result is a face or figure that feels both realistic and abstract all at once.
Winford (the 59-year-old artist goes by his first name professionally) describes his style as “color expressionism,” and the seeds for it were planted back in childhood. “My mother would give me and my sisters coloring books…and tradition says, please stay within the lines, but I was so unorthodox, I didn’t listen to what tradition said and I started coloring outside the lines, and that’s what helped me create my style,” he explains.
Another, less likely, aspect of Winford’s childhood also informed his art: a speech impediment. “As a child, you’re always embarrassed,” he remembers. “I was always afraid to say anything.” This fear of speaking helped cultivate a quieter means of self-expression: drawing. Working with a speech therapist eradicated the impediment, but the love of art stuck.
“Ever since I was 10 years old, I always wanted to do this,” he says, gesturing around his Mount Olive studio, which is filled with a prolific body of work.
During his senior year at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, Winford and two classmates submitted their portfolios to the Columbus College of Art and Design, in Columbus, Ohio, and all three received four-year scholarships.
In ’87, Winford was awarded his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree; in ’88, he was appointed the official artist for the Charlotte Hornets.
“By being the official artist for the Charlotte Hornets, I started getting commissions from athletes,” he says. “A lot of NBA players and coaches, they started seeing my work. And I started promoting myself when I went to the locker rooms…
“And I started venturing out beyond the Hornets to get to know players like Jordan and Reggie Miller and Charles Barkley,” he continues. “I started forming relationships with them. And they have big houses and they like art on their walls. So…I’ve probably got about 15 to 16 players that I’ve done work for…personal pieces for their homes.”
His inroads into the sports world wasn’t limited to basketball. In 1994, he created the first promotional painting for the Carolina Panthers and went on to do work for the Washington Redskins and the Baltimore Ravens. He gained recognition for painting athletes from a wide variety of sports, including golf, boxing, and baseball. Along the way, he met famous athletes, like Muhammad Ali, Hank Aaron, John Elway, Alonzo Mourning, and Ben Roethlisberger.
One of the biggest boosts to his career came in 1999 when he became the official artist for the McDonald’s All-American Games. “Those are the best high school male and female basketball players in the country,” Winford explains. He credits Bob Geoghan, one of the founders of the Games (who is now deceased), with introducing him to this organization.
Through the Games, he met many people in the McDonald’s organization, which led to a relationship with the National Black McDonald’s Operators Association (NBMOA). “I got involved in 2003 with the NBMOA, and it was at their convention in New York,” Winford recounts. “I didn’t know anybody; nobody knew me.” But at his vendor table, stocked with approximately 10 paintings of famous musicians like Ray Charles, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, and Lena Horne (his work isn’t limited to sports, but spans a wide range of subjects), he sold every piece he displayed.
The NBMOA holds its conventions during odd-numbered years, and Winford has continued to attend every year since 2003. Not only does he sell during the conventions, but there is, he says, “an after effect.” While at the conventions, he is often approached by owner-operators requesting him to do commission work. “So, I’ve done a lot of things, even after the convention, for their homes.”
And his association with McDonald’s goes deeper still. He has created artwork for both the McDonald’s Women Owners Network (WON) and for the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
For last year’s WON convention in Austin, Texas, the women owner-operators had requested that Winford “do something that’s kind of Picasso-ish.” He accepted the challenge, producing his Picasso-ish interpretation in a joyful painting of women dancing. “As soon as one of the owner ladies saw it, she bought it, ‘cause she didn’t want anybody else to bid on it,” he says. Prints of the original were then made available.
Of the work he’s done for the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), one piece he’s especially proud of is a 2018 painting portraying a cheerful Ronald McDonald surrounded by colorful hearts. This piece, commissioned by RMHC and the Coca-Cola Company, was the basis for prints that were then sold to raise funds for the charity.
Having worked as a professional artist for more than 35 years, Winford points out that his style has changed over the years. Initially, he worked in what he considers an illustrative style; over the past 20 or so years, he has shifted to fine art.
He explains the transition this way: “I think as artists in general, we develop. And once you find that niche that sells, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. So, this was my niche. I found that people love the colors.”
His secret is to apply bright primary colors in blocks across the canvas, using palette knives of differing sizes and blade styles. “I create 80 percent of my work with a palette knife and 20 percent with a paintbrush,” he notes.
His preferred medium is acrylic on canvas, but Winford also does a lot of color sketches (acrylic on high-quality, acid-free paper) and hand-embellished prints, which he describes this way: “My printer and I do the print of one of the originals and then I…go back in, and I highlight some of the really crucial areas to make sure it actually becomes an original in and of itself.” Producing pieces in a variety of mediums allows him to offer his work at a wide range of price points.
When Winford isn’t traveling or working in his studio (which is located alongside several other artists’ studios at First Baptist Church), he divides his time between Goldsboro — where he and wife Patricia have a home and where he pastors Mount Calvary Missionary Baptist Church — and Charlotte, where the Galmons have another home. They have a grown son, Zachery.
Knowing that Winford is both an artist and a pastor, it’s not surprising when he says, “I try to teach other artists, when you do your work, it’s more than about you doing your work. It’s about helping to improve society.” And he practices what he preaches, having supported causes related to cancer, diabetes, and HIV/AIDS (among others) over the years.
“I keep getting blessed,” he says.
His talent is a two-way street that brings him blessings and allows him to bless others.
Winford sells his paintings at events, and he has a business partner who sells them online at Etsy and eBay. He also has a Facebook page.
