People we love

I personally believe that the heart motif is one of the cornerstones of the artist. Regardless if it’s done in abstract, realism, or in mixed media. The heart has become a lasting symbol of love, life, and connection. I think that once an artist identifies with this symbol, not only will it return in their art again and again, but that they, the artist, will associate it with people that they love.

For me that’s my younger brother. Though we can’t socialize often due to living apart, I feel that when I paint hearts, he’s with me in some way exploring the various ways that paint can be applied to a surface, the many nuances of texture and form, the endless variations of line and color, and the whole range of raw emotion. I think that’s why so many of my projects that end up using the heart motif also end up exploring the dynamic of light and dark through form, hues that one wouldn’t particularly pair together but work out well when the whole project is finished.

Joseph Villarreal

Joseph is the Program Supervisor for the Eastern North Carolina Outpatient Clinics located in Greenville, New Bern, and Wilmington.  He is also part of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Council (DEI) and the Peer Leadership Council (PLC).