Crystal Villegas
AQ is our series of hardcover catalogs celebrating extraordinary women artists. Available on Amazon. Visit the AQ Catalog Webpage to learn more.
AQ Volume V artist Crystal Villegas is an oil painter from Chicago. She is a self-taught artist who is fascinated by surrealism and is influenced by Salvador Dali, Remedios Varo, and the revelatory power of dreams. Dreams have directly informed prominent subjects in Villegas’ work. Her desire to explore the inextricable link between humans, emotions, and nature has proven to demonstrate a thought-provoking output with her oil paintings. Villegas chooses to paint on wood surfaces, as the smoothness and sturdiness of wood add to her visceral experience of painting and create a rich, realistic result. Villegas has received Best in Show by Ten Moir Gallery. Her debut collection, The Nature of Need, represents the multilayered experience that accompanies the commitment to care for oneself.
https://www.crystalvillegasart.com
What inspired you to become an artist, and how did you decide to commit to this path?
Since childhood, I have been enamored with storytelling. At the ripe age of four, I could be found writing fairy tales and illustrating them. I still remember the passionate and powerful expression that pushed its way out of me throughout childhood and into adolescence. I got my Bachelor’s degree in English with a concentration in Creative Writing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. I wanted to dedicate myself to poetry and novel writing, but I soon realized that the stories I had in me were wanting to be told visually. When I began to teach myself the basics of light and shadow, of realism in oil painting, I truly began to see my external world. Through learning the foundations of visual art, I opened the door to my internal world—to allow what was deep inside of me to be expressed and shared with others. I studied the work of great artists, and I had never felt so understood by simply looking at their work. No other form of creativity had moved me so deeply. The work and philosophy of masters before me have inspired me to continue the tradition of fine art—in my way, and with my own passionate stories.
Could you share the story or concept behind your recent work?
I just completed my debut collection of oil paintings, The Nature of Need. The works seek to illuminate psychological needs nestled in the biological. The collection is a journey through multiple inner landscapes that remind us of the multilayered experience that accompanies the commitment to care for oneself. The collection navigates between themes of hyper-independence in children, exploring ancestral implications, undergoing a rebirth of identity, and the power of speech in declaring one’s needs.
What was the most challenging part of your path so far? How are you navigating this obstacle?
Accepting locational impermanence. I am a woman who craves both adventure and stability. I am from the city of Chicago, but coastal locations and the sea have always been nestled deep in my heart. Near my hometown, I’ve finally established an empowering environment for myself to paint, but I have dreams and plans to move abroad. I want to ensure an empowering environment to create wherever I go. When all this gets difficult for my mind to sift through, I remember that for a woman like me, the place I belong is surely wherever I plant my feet.
What role does experimentation and exploration play in your artistic practice?
Perhaps my most important philosophy is surrendering to the inspiration that informs my artwork. My work is not solely coming from my conscious control. I must allow my subconscious, and other mysterious forces to deliver imagery. I must also have my inner filter turned on, which distills information so that only the most important symbols are retained. My time on this earth is limited, and if the thought of spending days and weeks working through a specific concept excites me in my solar plexus, then it is an image worth painting. To lean into surrender, I meditate and let the appropriate image, composition, or color combination come to me. I let myself be open to exploration, but remind myself to focus on the goal.
Do you have any start or stop rituals before creating?
Nourishment. I always eat well before showing up to create, and I make sure I have a delicious cup of green tea to support a paint session.
What message do you hope your art conveys to the world?
I hope to remind people of the excitement in experiencing their own inspirational moments in nature. How many times have we seen a particular resemblance to a face, animal, or other object in the natural world? Such moments remind us of a surreal phenomenon happening around us before they dissolve into the rest of the day. Nature constantly gives people multilayered messages, and artwork has the power to capture the beauty of these messages.
Share a mantra or favorite quote that keeps you going.
“Before all else it is absolutely necessary that at the moment when you sit down before your easel to paint your picture, your ‘painter’s hand’ be guided by an angel.” -Salvador Dali
