BIO

Phoenix printmaker Wendy Willis moved to the Valley of the Sun in 1978. Her technical prowess combined with strong conceptual imagery has made Willis an artistic force in the Arizona printmaking community. While she works across several printmaking media, it is the “no turning back” extreme method of reduction relief that is her forte. Willis is a member of Five15 Arts Gallery in Phoenix; and is the Department Head for Printmaking at the Phoenix Center for the Arts and is the Membership Chair for the Arizona Print Group. Her complex multi-layered, reduction relief prints can be found internationally in university and private collections. Willis continues to live, work and be inspired by the life and culture of the southwest.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My work reflects many hours spent swimming, and the thoughts and issues I consider while suspended in the cool, comforting waters of my pool. When I swim and get into a rhythm it becomes a meditation on daily events, a focused time to reflect and consider what is above the surface. Sharing the pool with my friends and their kids, I am reminded of my younger self, living in and under the water on family vacations. I don’t know whether I was escaping to the quiet or just enjoying setting goals for myself like how long can I hold my breath, how far can I swim, how many pennies am I able to pick up off the bottom.