Jaymee Harvey Willms Artist

A little more than two months ago, I was packing up my things and heading to the northern part of France to Chateau Orquevaux. Painting there was magic, if you follow my social media pages you probably saw images of a place that belongs in a Disney movie. It wasn't that far off. While there I had a new mantra, one that had I have quite literally never used before. Slow Down. I repeated it to myself constantly, and it worked. During the two weeks in France, I rediscovered painting, rediscovered color, as well as reinvestigated my own reason for making art. I don't have any answers to anything really, but I did slow down. I did create. I am proud of what I have made. Take a look and let me know what you think, it feels good to share it. Each painting is on Arches watercolor paper and is 24x36 inches. I used acrylic paint, ink, spray paint and oil sticks in a variety of ways to build up layers, patterns and color.

I'm here! I made it, and now all I need to do is try not to get lost or murdered. One of the afore mentioned being inevitable in a foreign land. 8 months ago, I was sitting at my desk at work trying to refocus my attention on a budget when the very rare "Congratulations!" email popped up. (Those of you that are artists know just how rare this is...) My throat hitched and I realized this residency I had applied for in France- FRANCE- had accepted my application. The breathlessness of that moment is something I will not easily forget. Would I be able to afford it? What would my husband think? What made them say yes? A million questions all in an instant. Fast forward those 8 months and a few flights later, I am here, at Chateau Orquevaux in Orquevaux, France. Everywhere you look is a picture, the only sounds are birds and rushing water and the Chateau overlooks a reservoir of the cleanest water imaginable with a valley behind it. It couldn't be more of a fairytal...

Women of Washington County is an exhibition dedicated to three female abstract artists that focus in on the world and the things that shaped them. In this exhibition viewers will take on three different visual perspectives on feminism, abstraction, place, time and domesticity. Each artist will challenge these 5 ideas in different ways. Melissa Dorn Richards zeros in on the banal and reexamines the world of objects we live in. Kate Schaffer tears apart time and space, she then rebuilds it to allow the viewer to consider a new perspective. Jaymee Harvey Willms uses layers of repeated patterns and shapes and story-based imagery to challenge the fairytales of childhood and monotony of adulthood. Together these three women provide a window into the lives of women in Washington County. They document the challenges, celebrations, humors and dark side of womanhood in Wisconsin as well as a broader scope into the lives of American women today. This exhibition was January 2018-April...

As I have rediscovered painting, the canvases are piling up, fortunately storage is not quite as difficult with 2D work. Keeping work in exhibitions does help though! Looking ahead, this January, Melissa Dorn Richards, Kate Schaffer and myself will be exhibiting work at the West Bend Library. Below is some of the work I plan on including in the exhibition.

The Navigator's was an exhibition featuring the work of Jenie Gao, Emily Arthur and myself. For the month of October, we took over Var Gallery and Studios. Below are some images of my own work, and the incredible work of these two women and a few paragraphs describing some ideas the show was centered around.   The Navigators – EXHIBITION STATEMENT / PRESS RELEASE What does it mean to be a navigator? First, we must ask, is it possible to lead from within the crowd, or to direct the course of a journey when someone else’s hands are at the wheel? If the answer is yes, then to be a good navigator, we need to understand that at all times, we deal with circumstances greater than our control and make decisions with less information than we would like. Yet we still must choose a direction to go and find ways to communicate what we know to others in order for them to listen and follow. The Navigators features artists, Jenie Gao, Jaymee Harvey Willms, and Em...

Moving to Wisconsin was a huge rupture in my making practice. I have had studio space available-but only hit conceptual, physical, and emotional walls when entering these spaces. Spaces that I myself had set up. Over the course of this two year journey I have made some really crappy stuff, and stared for countless hours at said really crappy stuff. Last month, I moved into a studio in the Marshall building in Milwaukee's third ward. It was been the kick in the ass that I needed. Paintings and sculptures have come to life once a again, and I couldn't be more excited. In this dead zone of making much has happened in my personal life, as well as the life I lead at work. Personal and public are deeply affected by politics, womanhood, and the patterning of everyday movements. Patterns and "traditions" change the way humans, specifically women, walk through life. In these paintings I have been studying my own habits, patterns, and traditions, and the way that I understa...

In February, I was privileged to receive a residency at Ronald Reagan Elementary, in New Berlin, WI. With Cindy Hollbrook and Mrs. Burg (RR's art teacher) we used found objects, recycled materials as well as plaster, clay, floral foam, and balsa foam to create abstract sculptures with all 700 students. It was exhausting and magical. Below you will find some photos of my favorite pieces and a short video chronicling our final art show!