about the artist

About the Artist

Emily Boller grew up on the same farm that was homesteaded by her pioneering

relatives in the mid 1800's near Fort Wayne, Indiana. By divine providence, she was raised by

parents who encouraged the mural painting endeavors of a young, budding artist; and was taught

by a painting professor who imparted a fiery passion for the pursuit of artistic excellence. After

graduating from college and a brief cowboy adventure out West, she and her husband settled

back in the Midwest, and have been blessed with five children.

Some of her favorite pastimes include transplanting perennials on rainy days, feeling

the refreshing breezes of Lake Michigan while watching its gorgeous sunsets, discovering summits;

places with breathtaking panoramic perspectives, collecting memories through creative writing,

and studying great works of art. She's on an insatiable quest to produce significant works of art

in her lifetime.

Artist Statement

I am an expressionist painter. Paint and its particular characteristics are more important to

me than what they can represent. I do sometimes use recognizable motifs such as flowers or

landscapes that have sentimental value to me as points of departure, but painting a mirrored

likeness does not interest me. My focus instead is on producing works of art through the careful

placement of colors, shapes, lines, patterns, forms, brushstrokes, and even the puddles of pigments

that form when water dries in watercolor painting. When these combined elements flow together

to make visible an image that has never been seen before, I become fully alive, and touch for a

fleeting moment the glory of the majestic beyond this life.

Education

-Bachelor of Arts with Distinction; Fine Arts, Drawing, Painting, Printmaking

Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana

Awards

-Phi Kappa Phi Honorary Society; Purdue University

-New York art critic, April Kingsley Art Award; figure drawing

Venues / Exhibits

-Accent and Design, Warsaw, Indiana, 2008

-Art for Sale, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2004-2008

-Annual Members' Exhibitions, Artlink Contemporary Gallery,

Fort Wayne, Indiana, 1986, 2001-2009

-Joseph Decuis Emporium, Roanoke, Indiana, 2007

-Art on East Main, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, 2006, 2009

-Downtown Landmarks Exhibit, Artlink Contemporary Gallery, 2006

-Garland's Art Gallery, Fort Wayne, Indiana, 2005

-Fifth Regional Exhibition, Artlink Contemporary Gallery, 2005

-Motherlode Women's Exhibition, Avant-Garde Gallery, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, 2004

-Self Portrait Exhibition, Artlink Contemporary Gallery, 2004

Commissions & Collections

-Oil paintings, watercolors, mixed media, and prints;

private and corporate collections; 1978 - 2009

-Over twenty-five site specific mural paintings;

businesses, churches, schools, and residences; 1978-1983

Italy and Greece

Photography and writings by Emily Boller

May 2006

the open ceiling of the Pantheon in Rome; a classical Greek statue; and the Parthenon on the Acropolis in Athens

Michelangelo. Giotto. Raphael. DaVinci. Cimabue. As an artist, I have seen,

experienced, and absorbed some of the best of the best in art and architecture

that mankind has ever produced. Ever. I've seen with my own eyes the end

product of supernatural Deity pulsating through men to create works of art that

paralyze the senses. The finite mind goes blank; speechlessness sets in trying

to discover a compartment in the brain to store the experience. No photograph,

art history book, or lecture can capture the aura of the masterpieces. In the words

of distinguished painter, Al Pounders, "You will know good art when you see it,

only if you work at looking at the best art you can find." Some of the best has

been found. My journey has just begun.

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One of the greatest artists of all times, Michelangelo Buonarroti, looked at everything

with an artist's critical eye, and was not one easily impressed. But when Michelangelo

first saw one of Rome's architectural masterpieces, the Pantheon, he proclaimed it was

made of "angelic and not human design."

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works of art within the Vatican, including St. Peter's Basilica

St. Peter's Basilica. I've seen it on TV. I've seen the Pope celebrate Easter Mass

in front of it. I knew it was the largest church in Christendom; but it was only head

knowledge. No big deal. As we were about to enter the premises, the guide mentioned

that it was about the length of two football fields, and the width and height of about one

football field; about six acres in size. I later learned that the Statue of Liberty could

easily fit inside the front altar area under the dome. The human mind calculates,

"Wow, that's big!" But when one crosses the threshold into its interior, no words can

adequately articulate what the heart experiences upon entering the sacred space

that took skilled artisans nearly two hundred years to craft. Every square inch is hallowed

and reverent; covered with artistic masterpieces: mosaic paintings, sculptures,

Corinthian columns, stained glass, woven tapestries, precious metals, wood carvings,

and much more. Even the marbled floor is covered with intricately detailed, mosaic designs.

I walked slowly towards the front nave and altar. I was completely surrounded by magnificent

works of art; exquisite beauty immersed in the presence of God. Holy awe. Silent reverence.

I had to bow. I had to release the intense emotion that was flooding my soul, and no other

expression was adequate. In such a moment, all inhibitions vanish; the Triune God is revealed,

and Holy Light illuminates the deepest crevices of the heart.

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suburban villas seen from hotel room on the outskirts of Florence, Italy

Tuscany. Mesmerizing beauty. While pulling a forty pound suitcase up a steep

hill to the hotel, I began to anticipate the view from the summit ahead. After

reaching the hotel tucked away in a grove of olive trees, I had to climb several

flights of stairs and a maze of marbled hallways to reach my room. Crossing the

tiled floor to unlatch the balcony shutter, I unveiled the pure beauty of Tuscany

as the sun was lazily sinking into the horizon. No glass window. No screen barrier.

No noisy air conditioner unit. Just the raw, open view of cascading hills, cypress

trees, olive groves, and stucco farmhouses framing the ancient city of Florence

glistening in the distance as Brunelleschi's infamous dome stretched toward heaven.

Cackling chickens and crowing roosters harmonized with the silent sky. I was home

at last; enveloped in total serenity. I fell backwards onto my bed and smiled.

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panoramic views from the village of Assisi and the mountain hamlet of Collepino; both in Umbria, Italy

Umbria. The beloved heart of Italy. The home of the late Saint Francis from the village

of Assisi. The birthplace of one of the greatest art renaissances yet known to mankind.

Pastoral rolling hills. Sparsely populated, stucco farmhouses. Beautifully refreshing

un-manicured lawns; bathed in simplicity. Breathtaking panoramic views from tiny hamlets

nestled on the sides of mountains. Magically luring. The locals enjoy the pure pleasure

of leisurely eating bruschetti with wild mushrooms, wild boar and potato dumplings,

wild greens, artichokes, pastas, lamb, and pork rolled in chicken breasts. Their culture

emphasizes meaningful relationships shared over nourishing and relaxing meals versus the

American culture of rushed frenzy, greasy fast food, chemical laden diet food, eating disorders,

and disposable dinnerware.

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Greece; the land of mysterious islands, mountains, and seas; the host of ancient art and mythology

The trip was not just about art. I had the privilege of celebrating Mother's Day night

at a disco on the top deck of a cruise ship headed towards Greece with my newly adopted

college "kids;" students from the University of St. Francis. Actually some adopted me

as their "Mom" for Mother's Day; coaxing me to dance and celebrate with them;

complete with a make-over given by my roommate that stunned everyone with delight!

The exuberant joy in the air was electrifying. Youth have a way of reviving dry, crusty

hearts to experience life again. It was exhilarating to dance with abandon, and laugh,

and feel the cool, night breezes of the Adriatic Sea brush against the face. I was swallowed

up into the dark, night sky somewhere out in the middle of a vast sea with not a care in the

world. Is there a God out there who restores mothers' weary souls? What a Mother's Day

gift. Did I really wake up the next morning to see stunningly gorgeous Greek Islands?

Did I really get to eat breakfast overlooking mysterious mountains encased in mist?

Did I really get to climb the Acropolis and see the Parthenon with my own eyes?

Was it a surreal dream or was it real?

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the sunset over Athens, Greece on the final night before returning home

Sometimes I'm drawn away to leave the terrestrial,

and enter the sacred space of the celestial.

Is it possible to make visible

the atmosphere of the secret place within

where I go to commune with the Lover of my soul?

This place transcends mere religion as a duty to perform for Deity.

It is the sanctuary of beauty, serenity, and joy

in the midst of an ugly and chaotic world.

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I'm different now.

I don't know exactly how, but I'm different.

My soul is at rest.

Undisturbed. Saturated.

Like film marinating in a darkroom.

Silent. Hidden.

Like an unborn baby developing in a mother's womb.

Perhaps in the days and years to come the unveiling will occur.

candles and angels at the tomb of Michelangelo in Florence, Italy

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Michelangelo Buonarroti

1475-1564

"This afternoon the most excellent and true miracle of nature,

Messer Michelangelo Buonarroti passed from this to a better life."

-the doctor attending to Michelangelo at his death

sculptures at the tomb of Michelangelo

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outdoor market flowers of Italy and Greece

"For what else are the servants of God but minstrels,

whose work it is to lift up people's hearts and move them to spiritual gladness."

-Saint Francis of Assisi; Umbria, Italy

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"Once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward,

for there you have been, and there you will always long to return."

-Leonardo da Vinci

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"I am seeking. I am striving. I am in it with all my heart."

-Vincent van Gogh

For this I was born. For this I was created.