Kamloops Artist
Karl Willms is an artist from Kamloops who paints landscapes, people, animals, and places from around the world.
Karl Willms Biography
Karl Willms is a self-taught artist who has been designing homes in B.C.’s interior for the past 50 years. Having served on the Kamloops Heritage Commission, much of his focus has been on heritage preservation. Karl and his wife Eileen have restored a number of houses in the West End — including his studio / office at 118 Victoria St. — the Brownstone Building.
The couple have travelled extensively with Karl having filled many journals with ink and watercolour sketches and travel notes.
When he retired, he started painting watercolours on canvas of landscapes, people and places — mostly in Mexico and South America.
Recently he expanded his artwork to include oil paintings — inspired by several sessions with Kamloops artist Yvonne Reddick.
Experiencing our planet’s many cultures and context leads to a better understanding of the world we live in. Karl’s art is a response to — and an expression of — his travel adventures.
Artist Statement
My sketches and paintings represent years of travel experiences in Canada and around the world. These watercolour and ink drawings and paintings are inspired from a seat at a sidewalk café, a vista from a hill or a memorable travel event. Most of my pictures are sketched or painted in the immediate context. Despite the language barriers, my travel sketching has led to lively “conversations” and resulted in numerous and lasting friendships.