Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery Presents Work of Armstrong June 6

A collection of 20 works by renowned local artist William “Willi” Holiday Armstrong will be the centerpiece of a reception this Saturday at Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery.

Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, located next to Food Lion on Valley Boulevard in Blowing Rock, will host a collection of 20 works by renowned local artist William “Willi” Holliday Armstrong with a reception on Saturday, June 6, from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.

Armstrong, a legendary Boone artist for more than a decade, has been called “the Van Gogh of the Mountains.” His bright and lively paintings reflect inspiration he found in both the natural world around him, and the spiritual world within. Trained as a naturalist at Hocking Technical College in Nelsonville, Ohio, Armstrong’s work often contains butterflies, his signature symbol, as well as other animals and natural scenery.

The paintings in this collection are soul searching, and almost surreal in their distortion, with a vigor and energy that is inescapable. Armstrong’s generous use of color and full brush strokes are reminiscent of Van Gogh, but his subject matter is purely his own. Angels are a common element, and they seem to soar from the canvas.

A prolific and dedicated “outsider” artist, Armstrong’s paintings were not limited to those on canvas. He often painted on whatever he found lying around, including toilet seats, mailboxes and chunks of pavement. Armstrong wanted to bring his art to as many people as possible, and is known fondly by many Boone residents as an eccentric and gentle man who sold his work on the sidewalks of King Street. He left more than 2,000 paintings and drawings after the heart attack that led to his death at the age of 47.

Armstrong’s life as an artist began long before he came to Boone in the early 1990s. His first public recognition came in the form of two solo exhibitions in Raleigh, and he created an untold number of drawings while in Padre Island, Texas.

A social phobic, Armstrong wrestled with his mental health for most of his life. He was tested on the genius level as a child, but his bipolar condition and other health problems, compounded by drug and alcohol abuse, made his life complex and difficult. Though he grew up in what his mother describes as a normal, loving family, he was periodically estranged from his parents and relatives. Armstrong was hospitalized on several occasions, during which time he would fill tiny spiral bound notebooks with drawings, poems and comments about his treatments. His work, both poetic and artistic, was a kind of therapy for him, as it often is with troubled artists, and was one place Armstrong was in control.

The show will run from Monday, June 1, through Tuesday, June 16. Tim Miller, owner of Blowing Rock Frameworks and Gallery, maintained a strong friendship with Armstrong, and will be sharing stories of the artist’s life. For more information, call 828-295-0041 or click to www.blowingrockgalleries.com.

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