William Willis Recent Paintings Exhibition Opens Today at Howard Scott Gallery

Howard Scott Gallery will present a solo exhibition by the American painter, William Willis, which will open to the public on Thursday, 11 October and be installed through Saturday, 24 November 2012.

William Willis’ artistic sensibilities are affected by his interest in Eastern art and philosophy; his work is influenced by that as well. Working in oils and acrylics, Willis uses muted colors and simple shapes, often branch and antlers, to create images that are contemporary, yet never seem to stray too far from the kind of representational work seen in traditional cultures. Much of the work has that flat quality informed by symbolism.

In recent years, he has increasingly been drawn to upland and mountainous, forested, sparsely populated areas, where small streams and creeks etch their path through rocky landscapes, eventually forming rivers on their journey to the sea. The elemental ingredients of such landscapes have been a powerful influence on his work. Until recently, Mr. Willis has lived his life within the eastern United States, primarily between Maryland and Florida. Though for many years has lived in close proximity to vast bodies of waters, including the Chasepeake Bay and the Gulf of Mexico.

In September, 2010, Willis was invited to take over the Morris Eminent Scholar in Art distinguished academic position, an endowed chair at the highest rank of the University System of Georgia (Augusta). William Willis’ work has been exhibited publicly since 1976, including a number of solo exhibitions in museum and university galleries [amongst which are a twelve-year survey of his work at The Phillips Collection, Washington D.C. (with catalogue; 1989) and the Weatherspoon Art Gallery, University of North Carolina, Greensboro.