CC Willow- Artists In Action Gallery

Artist Biography:

CC Willow, grew up in San Jose CA and moved to Salem, OR as a teen. The daughter of artist Virgil L Evans Jr, she grew up watching her father always painting & sketching. She has been painting since 2003, and utilizes acrylics, watercolors, alcohol inks, and ink; she also has developed quite a passion for zentangles. She takes inspiration from the raw, rugged Pacific Northwest; as well as Celtic culture.

CC Willow also writes poetry as the Plathian poet, Ariel, and is quite active at northwest poetry & art events. She lives in Salem, OR, enjoying frequent jaunts into the Cascades or along the Oregon Coast.

Her art can be seen at:
Facebook: CC Willow Art
Web page: https://poetariel.net/cc-willow/
Email: ccwillow@yahoo.com

Artist Statement:

Primarily a poet, I have navigated the realms of artistic expression to find my voice. Growing up as the daughter of an artist, the need to carve my own path became imperative. While poetry has always been my solace, there exist ineffable moments, certain locales and emotions, that demand translation into the language of visual arts—painting and photography, a nuanced play of color and brush strokes, a visual poem capturing the unspoken. This led me to embrace the realm of painting in 2003, where images become a profound articulation of sentiments, employing the language of the eyes through symbols, motifs, and the subtle nuances of light.

The choice of medium is dictated by the emotional cadence I wish to convey. Watercolors, with their ethereal quality, evoke serenity or whimsy, while oils and acrylics lean towards boldness and ruggedness. Alcohol Inks become the voice of abstraction, reminiscent of stormy days. Photography serves as a means to freeze nature’s perfect moments, and Pen and Ink becomes a meditative process. My creative journey is an intricate dance, a symbiosis of poetry and visual arts, adapting to the ever-shifting moods of expression.

As I embark on 2024, my artistic mantra is “Let it heal.” Motivated by the fluidity and nourishing essence of water, I use it as a metaphor for human growth and evolution. In the process of personal metamorphosis, greens, borrowed from the healing landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, play a pivotal role. Each stroke, each photograph, is a step towards healing—capturing the essence of moments, reflecting personal growth, and embracing the soothing power of nature’s hues.