Willie Harris' multitude of sprightly ink drawings and prints of a wide-eyed elfin figure with outstretched arms, ears and hair are self-portraits of the artist. A second but less common theme is of his home. The tension between his fine black lines and dense clusters of scribblings energizes these and other Harris artwork.

These pieces, we sense, tell a continuous story about the artist. Yet we can only imagine what he may be thinking about. He is prolific and nearly obsessed, rarely parting from his two themes.

Institutionalized from age 7 to 22, Harris began at NIAD at age 32 in 1988. He painted only rectangles, but he had a keen sense of color. His artwork has since been exhibited at the University of California at Davis Art Gallery and at other NIAD shows. His work is also represented in private galleries and is in demand among the outsider art collectors. Harris communicates with picture symbols, some sign language and gestures, and lives in a board and care home in Oakland.

Harris' work was recently on display in April 2005 at San Francisco's Concourse Gallery and at the Arts Benicia Gallery in Benicia, CA.

Untitled (Two Panels)
Acrylic on Canvas
24.5 " x 30 "
$350

Untitled (Blue & Yellow)
Mixed Media on Paper
23 " x 20 "
$225

Untitled (Portrait w/ Boxes)
Mixed Media on Paper
20" x 24 "
$250

Untitled (Red Circles)
Acrylic on Canvas
30 " x 24 "
$375

Untitled (Purple & Yellow)
Acrylic on Panel
15.5 " x 12.5 "
$245