There is an undeniable joie de vivre in the work of Wooley Dutton from her journey of discovery into natural subjects like water, sky, foliage and birds to her playful expression of shape in Shadow People. Her portraits take you into the soul of the individuals. She invites the viewer in with her tantalizing use of color and then has them stay awhile to appreciate the fullness of her art.

The abstracts are light as air, freeing and we can feel the artist giving over to the art. It carries us higher, just as the creative process has carried Ms. Dutton to the paintings’ final resolution. Far from mere impulse, each representational work is carefully constructed and worked through attentively so that the viewer is not just visitor, but guest. To linger with her work is always to leave reluctantly, but uplifted.

“Images emerge from my own life experience and surroundings. I am fascinated with the "feeling" in a situation — the depth of a personality, the lightness of soaring through the clouds, the stillness of the night heron stalking dinner, the breeze in tall grasses and the energy of birds taking flight. Creating spontaneous faces or abstractions that flow through my fingers just brings me joy. No matter what I am painting, the goal is always the same --- Push it to the max."