Interview with Artist: Felice Willat
by Galina Kovshilovsky
Why do you do what you do?
The camera is my medium to capture the fleeting beauty I see and feel in nature, the unguarded expressions and hidden gestures of life in the landscape and in the optical illusions that appear in reflections, and the layering of images.
What’s is your background?
I started a family at 17 years old while still in high school, later completing my education through several entrepreneurial endeavors. They include the development of the Day Runner – a complete time management organizer that helped millions of people get things done during the time-crunched 80’s. Following that, I developed the Woman’s Book of Changes, an interactive journal that reached its way to Oprah Winfrey and other prominent people who wanted a tool for personal growth. I began my photography career in my fifties following a pilgrimage to the Kumbh Mela in India. I had my first exhibition in 2008 with Lark.
What art do you most identify with?
Life in the landscape, nature, ethnographic and contemplative photography; collage and impressionistic painting.
What work do you most enjoying doing?
Layering photography – foreground, middle ground, and background using depth of field for composite effect; alternative printing techniques.
What’s your strongest memory of your childhood?
The abrupt and traumatic move from Brooklyn to Hollywood when I was 13 – it was my dark night of the soul when eventually my life was to change for the better and quite a remarkable one.
Can you describe a real-life situation that inspired you?
I would have to say that my relationships with the three men in my life inspired me to learn, grow, and create.
Why art?
Engaging with my camera or any form of art takes me out of the ordinary reality where I thrive. I am an emotional, sensual and creative person and when I discover something that captures my imagination I want to share it with others by developing a product or capturing a photograph.
What is your artistic outlook on life?
To live in the world of possibility and not in the absolute.
What makes you angry?
When someone hurts an innocent person or animal.
What is your dream project?
I am living my life as if it were a dream. My dreams are very close to my life as it is.
What is your favorite or the most inspirational place in the world?
Wherever people live within their environment, close to nature and their practices. When I travel, I avoid the big cities and get out to more remote areas.
What is your goal?
To learn to use other art materials and create collages.