Crayon on paper, 1982, signed at lower left, matted and framed under Conservation Glass.

Sight size 10 3/4 x 8 1/4 in.; Frame dimensions 15 1/2 x 13 in.

Private Collection, Blowing Rock, North Carolina

Born in Michigan, William Holiday Armstrong, AKA “Wiili Summer,” lived with his family in West Virginia until he turned sixteen. After leaving home, he traveled up and down the East Coast working odd jobs until finally settling in the North Carolina High Country.

An artist, poet and naturalist, Wiili’s fantastical paintings are awash with color and lyrical lines. Highly intelligent, he also struggled with mental health issues through which his art served as a therapy and vessel for his emotions. Common themes found in his art are female muses or ‘angels,’ butterflies and birds.

In 2013, the Blowing Rock Museum of Art & History (BRAHM) mounted a solo exhibition of Wiili’s paintings. His work may be found in numerous private collections throughout North Carolina and beyond.

Some minor toning to sheet; not examined out of the frame.