William F. Dotson, Sr. - Woodcarver

Patience c. 1986

Feuding, c. 1982
Two gentleman from Boone argue over a still.
Both figures a gift of the Dotson family.

William F. Dotson, Sr. was a local self-taught artist who began carving wood in the late 1960s when he retired as a successful plaster and tile contractor. His skills quickly developed, and he received offers from the Franklin Mint to do a head of Christ and from a number of galleries wishing to display his work. Mr. Dotson, however, had no interest in profiting from his talent and never sold any of his pieces. At the same time, he gave a large number of sculptures away to people who expressed admiration for his work.

Mr. Dotson was particularly interested in depicting genre scenes of events he had heard about or witnessed. Moonshining was a romantic, if sometimes violent act that caught his attention. These two carvings demonstrate Mr. Dotson's wonderful ability to capture the energy of human form and expression.