Rising Stars: Meet Abby Willis of Atlanta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Abby Willis.

Hi Abby, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Full-time oil painter Abby Willis was raised in Tullahoma, TN and currently lives in Smyrna, GA. She attended University of Tennessee, earning a degree in Supply Chain Management, and later worked in corporate sustainability during her ten-year corporate career. Her work focused on helping companies make more thoughtful, responsible long-term decisions — a mindset that now carries into her art practice.

Abby always made and sold art on the side. Her art career began in 2017 while living in Lexington, where she started selling linocut prints at art markets and online. Over the years, she explored multiple mediums, eventually transitioning from acrylic painting into oil painting before making the leap to becoming a full-time artist in 2025.

“Ultimately, I just kept coming back to art. I loved it, daydreamed about it constantly, and finally reached a point where I felt ready to fully commit to it. I didn’t think making a living as an artist was possible for most of my life, so I put it on the back burner for years. I’ve been pleasantly surprised and incredibly grateful that this path has worked out the way it has.

At the same time, I absolutely adored working in sustainability and just wanted to help make the world a better place. A lot of that work came from wanting to make thoughtful, responsible choices and focus on what truly matters long term, so I don’t regret the path that I’ve taken at all.”

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
While I feel very lucky that the universe has connected me with some incredible opportunities lately, it definitely hasn’t all been sunshine and rainbows. Being an artist is competitive, and there are a lot of disappointments behind the scenes. Sometimes I’ve sold out at events, and other times I’ve sold absolutely nothing. Starting any new business comes with a lot of trial and error.

But ultimately, I’m chasing something I deeply care about. I’m giving it everything I have, and I think there’s a lot of peace in knowing I truly tried.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a contemporary oil painter working in a style that blends impressionistic brushwork with realism. While my work is rooted in real scenes, places, and subjects, I’m most interested in capturing the emotion and atmosphere behind them.

I especially love working with collectors on heartfelt, highly personal commissions. I often joke that “painting was the original Photoshop,” and enjoy collaborating with clients to create unique, meaningful compositions — whether that means placing family members within a specific landscape or painting a beloved pet resting on a grandmother’s favorite couch, just to name a few examples.

Artist Statement:

“I want my work to challenge you to stop and remember what matters.

I paint the way light changes a moment. There is something about warm light landing on an ordinary scene that can suddenly make it feel significant. In real life, those shifts often bring us into reflection. In a painting, I get to hold that feeling still and offer it to you indefinitely.

My work is warm, lived-in, nostalgic, and often a little bittersweet. It is honest about how short life is, but not in a way that feels heavy. Instead, I hope it feels energizing. The awareness that time is fleeting can sharpen our perspective and propel us forward. It can remind us to notice the beauty and goodness that are already right in front of us.

When you look at my paintings, I hope you feel that shift. I hope you are encouraged to pause, to release some of the noise, to gain a clearer sense of what truly matters to you. My intention is not to dwell on impermanence, but to let it illuminate the present.”

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
You have to paint every single day, and you have to make time to play and experiment creatively — even in the middle of shows, markets, and commissions. We all have bills to pay and naturally spend time focused on ‘money-making activities,’ but that creative play is essential long term.

My husband often calls me ‘the Type A artist’ because I’m such a planner, and sometimes I can get too caught up in the business side of it all. But ultimately, to create meaningful and true art, you have to be willing to throw practicality out the window sometimes.

Pricing:

• Pricing for my commissions can be found at https://www.abbywillisart.com/contact
• pricing for my available originals can be found at: https://www.abbywillisart.com/available-originals
• but ultimately, please drop an inquiry if you want me to create something special.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.abbywillisart.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abbywillisart
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AReneereneee/
• Other: https://tiktok.com/@abbywillisart