April Willy was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Indianapolis. After graduating from Herron School of Art, April became an advertising and editorial illustrator. She spent almost 20 years working for local and national agencies before her growing interest in fine art redirected her career. April has illustrated eight children’s books. She still actively takes on commercial projects but her main focus is painting.

 

Her paintings examine earthy places,  done with whimsy and imagination.

 

“Many of my paintings are seen as abstracts, but the inspiration always derives from natural elements in the landscape. I paint in layers of oil, weaving ellipses, spheres and circles within the art. This layering helps me achieve an out-of-focus, undefined quality giving the viewer a softer look at the world.”

 

April has a studio located on the third floor of the historic Stutz Car Factory building in downtown Indianapolis.