Meet Artist Joy Willow

 

O-036 Hillisde Flume by Joy Willow mm 42x25 $1250

Joy Willow's "abstract naturalist" style combines the love of organic line and texture with images inspired from nature. Working on canvas, panel and on print-making paper, she aims to create a feeling of spontaneity and space while implying an internal landscape. Her panels afford a build-up of textures that suggest earth and rock forms. Her works on paper often begin with linear expressive gestures which are then "processed" in a way that adds and subtracts as the painting reveals itself.

Several techniques are evident in the work on canvas and panel, such as underpaintings "which provides a subtle background), mono printing, collage, found objects, glazing, and the use of sponges, brushes, rags, brayers, and fingers. The canvas become a field of discovery in which totally unplanned surprises are revealed.

Joy has been exploring the visual arts for over 30 years. She is also a trained musician and has taught voice and piano for over 40 years, maintaining an active studio in her home in Sonora. The quiet language of painting provides and wonderful balance and counterpoint to the verbal expression of song and poetry. Painting and poetry are really not very different for her, each voice whispering its invitation like woven lines of music. Her published collections of poetry are available locally and on Amazon.

Born and raised in eastern Pennsylvania, Willow was happily making abstract markings with finger paints until the coloring book with its strict lines stopped her joyfully messy experimentation. It took several decades to recover her desire to make art; long solitary walks allowed her to unconsciously absorb nature's patterns, forms, and textures; thus her inspiration for painting re-emerged. Encouraged by the late Judith Hale of Mendocino and Judy Sohigian of New Mexico, both mentors led her to explore the mysterious connections of inner and outer worlds.

Her work has been exhibited in galleries and private collections through out northern California, including Sonoma and Marin counties, San Francisco, Sacramento, Cambria, Lake Tahoe and the Motherlode area where her work has been shown in Sonora's former Ventana Gallery and Murphy's Handmade Gallery; currently her work can be viewed at Aloft Gallery in downtown Sonora.

Joy invites you to visit her website: www.joywillow.com.