About Us

Shapelyforms, Valerie Woelk the artist

An artist walking around in life notices the neat things that could make a great painting. Strange things catch my attention that are not even noticed by the non-artist... the way that light falls on an object, or the shape of shadows under or around it can really grab me from across the room. Making it impossible to leave until I have either captured it with a sketch or shot a picture so that it can be painted or drawn later. The eyes are always the very best focal point, whether wildlife or human, they are magnificent storytellers because they are the windows to the spirit within. It is inspiring to paint animals, locations, and still lives that tell-a-story or inspire a feeling.
I come from a mixed cultural background being born in Colorado and moving to Hawaii in the 4th grade. Taking artwork seriously when I won the Windward Artist Guild High School Award in the 1970's for 3 categories:
"storytelling - The Wizard of Oz" (watercolor and pen & ink),
"wildlife - Elephant" (pen & ink) and,
"new techniques - Girl w/ Bird of Paradise" (painted batik-resist).
My art continues to show the brighter colors that you see growing up in the tropics. Not only are the landscapes ocean and skies brighter, the people are much more colorful in their culture, customs and visual varieties.
Art has always been my life, it did become an "after-work" activity during the family raising years of 1980's. And my work history has a wide and unexpected combination of skills developed in Honolulu, then Washington state. Being 100% artist is what I am guilty of - having drawn, colored, painted or sketched with any medium available to me since very early in life. I have come to really enjoy working in large murals, so feel free contacting me about large painting projects.

Recently, I came across my high school yearbook and was flipping through the memories, it was funny but the majority of the people who signed the book said something about "the artist" in their comments. I didn't know that so many of those people had known that about me. Sometimes, creative individuals can be real dense in some areas and real sharp in others don't you think?
My goal in life is to continue improving my techniques hoping to please collectors as I travel this road in life. People ask what is the most important measure of my success as an artist? Insuring an observer will not walk-by unaffected is everything to me.