Photos of Willow's Visionary Art
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Willow Arlenea’s dynamic visionary paintings have evolved
to incorporate a unique blend of artistic influences. During her student years
her first influences were Realism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Art
Nouveau. She was deeply moved by the energy and passion of Van Gogh’s paintings,
delighted by Marc Chagal’s magical realms and exotic distortions, and enticed by
Gauguin’s rich colors and dark skinned figures. Her eye soon turned to
“primitive” art. She felt drawn to the decorative patterning and mystical
symbolism found in Native American, African and Aborigional art, which worked
their way into her paintings. A deep resonance with Islamic, Egyptian and
Afghani styles also emerged.
Later Willow began working with transparency and overlapping images, painting a
distinct edge to a figure, then allowing the interior to consist of what was
previously on the canvas. A place of radiant light became central to most of her
paintings, with distinct lights and darks and places of negative space.
Contemporary Southwest artists such as Bonny, Veloy Vigil and R. C. Gorman began
to visibly influence her work, as well as the wonderful shamanic paintings of
Susan Seddon Boulet. Willow began incorporating the backlighting technique used
by Boulet, as well as the biomorphic patterning of contemporary artist Helen
Nelson-Reed. A dear friend introduced her to the beauty of sacred geometry,
which appears in her most recent paintings.
Willow’s work continues to evolve. For her, creating a reality on canvas is a
dance of polarities. Hard edges balance with a loose expressive style. Lights
and darks, flow and pattering, complementary colors, texture and negative space
all come into harmony in her work, creating inspiring symphonies of light. Based
on her fascination with art, dance, nature, mysticism and psychology, the
paintings of Willow Arlenea reflect an intensity, spirituality and love of
indigenous cultures combined with brilliant tones and fluidity of movement.
Willow’s paintings are as colorful and eclectic as her life journey. The
fluidity and multidimensionality apparent in her work transports the viewer into
more subtle realms of experience. Geometric patterns, flows of energy,
luminescence, archetypal images and ethnic designs are combined to convey the
transformational journey we all share.
Between earning a B.F.A. from Boise State University and a master’s degree in
Transpersonal Psychology from Naropa Institute, Willow’s carer path took many
twists and turns, from teaching in the public school system to watercolor
painting to designing ethnic dance costumes to creating fiber wall hangings,
wearable art clothing, masks and colorful collage jewelry, until her artistic
exploration culminated with this stunning series of vibrant acrylic paintings
with collage. Using a dramatic palette of vivid crimson, deep amethyst, bold
ruby, ultramarine blue and glittering gold, Willow successfully weaves together
the influence of craft, sacred energies of nature and archetypal symbolism. When
she is not in her studio painting, Willow continues to explore various healing
and tranformational methods.
