Featured Artists |Kelly Williams

Artist Statement

Encaustic and watercolor are the foundation of my art. There is something very primal about working in fire and water. I find that both lend themselves to allowing the pigment to perform not just as a color, but also as a free physical entity. Each color has a weight, size and chemistry that dictates behaviors with others that are endless, from the perfect blending to the aggressive repulsions of one another. I find this an apt metaphor for the relationships by which we are surrounded.

My work is often a symbolic narrative of some form. Dreams of both the conscious and subconscious make their way into my work at multiple levels. It is a progression of disentanglement, a developing of a story, layer by layer. It is only upon coming closer and becoming intimate does one see the deep textures, subtle imagery and imperfections that make up the whole. Often, secrets are hidden within the layers that add additional meaning to the final painting.

This multitude of meaning and metaphors is a constant driving force. I am fascinated with paradoxes and exploring symbols with diverse and often conflicting meanings. I leave the objects of meaning open for interpretation as an invitation for others to enter into their own story. We all reflect and learn from others experiences, just as I let the painting itself teach me about my own reality. Approaching with an openness akin to meditation or prayer I attempt to listen as much as look when I paint. I am often caught having conversations with my paintings, preferring to view the process as a dialogue versus a lecture. In the end, I find the process more fulfilling than the end product and try to live my life by this same principle.

Intense color and texture are a significant focus and reflection of who I am. I make my encaustics from scratch, sometimes adding additional material to add more scent to the already aromatic beeswax as another sensual element. I want people to smell and touch. To make new textures I can often be found digging through kitchen drawers or wandering the hardware stores.

Nothing is off limits.

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