UNDERCURRENT | Wendy Westlake

Wendy Westlake’s new body of work in UNDERCURRENT investigates the underlying spatial relationships and surface tensions between shapes and colors. Several titles and themes of these new paintings are loosely based on and inspired by a 1909 edition of Lyndon Orr’s book of short stories, “The Romance of Devotion: Famous Affinities of History,” which Wendy stumbled upon at a vintage bookstore. A modern interpretation of the book’s aged romantic stories is reimagined through her strategic placement of shapes overlapping opaque and translucent colors. Will these colorful forms collide or retreat across the raw canvas? Strong and energetic relationships through color and form are produced, loosely guided by Orr’s short stories. How will these enigmatic forms interact? How much territory should specific shapes occupy? Will they gently expand or overlap a neighboring shape, or will the forms meet in a strongly defined way? How will the final composition reveal these complex relationships? Wendy’s stunning UNDERCURRENT series mirrors monumental life forces inspired by the stories: themes drawing us together and apart, evoking mystery, attraction, power, and, ultimately, destiny. 

Artist Talk Saturday, May 13th 3-4PM
Join Wendy Westlake on Saturday, May 13th, for a personal tour through her second solo show, UNDERCURRENT. She will share her inspirations and the process behind each work. Don't miss out on this informative talk while being surrounded by a stunning new body of work. 

ABOUT THE ARTIST
    Wendy Westlake approaches painting with a sense of adventure; each canvas is an opportunity to explore relationships through shape and color. Originally from Washington state, Wendy earned her Associate degree in Applied Art from Pima College in Tucson, Arizona, where she studied oils, ceramics and printmaking. By 1992, Wendy was back in Minnesota where she became heavily involved with the Twin Cities watercolor community. In 2012, she became a board member of the Minnesota Watercolor society, eventually becoming President from 2014-2016. Wendy soon craved working on a larger scale than paper would allow, leading her back to her earlier training with oils and acrylics. She works in her studio in Zumbrota, Minnesota. 

Westlake's work is continuously influenced by her background in watercolor. She is also inspired by the American Abstract Expressionists, particularly the color fields of Mark Rothko and collages of Conrad Marca-Relli.

GALLERY HOURS
    Fridays 11am-3:00pm
    Saturdays 11am-4pm
    And by appointment 

Images:
 Left: Wendy Westlake, Of Small Account, acrylic on raw canvas, 36"H x 42"W
 Right: Wendy Westlake, In Good Measure 2, acrylic on raw canvas, 65"H x 51"W