Somantha Westfield

The pictures I paint are based on my emotions, what I am feeling in the moment: angry, vulnerable, watched, judged, hurt, happy. Every time I pick up a brush to paint, I never really go in with an idea, but more so an emotion. Sometimes I cry through the process, sometimes I laugh, sometime I dance or even pray. And when that emotion, no matter which one, turns to calm, I know that the piece is nearing completion.

 

I often use paint as my main medium as it allows my emotions to flow as they come. It does not need any special preparations, just paint, paper and whatever is going on in my head. I also use wax and plaster cast as key media, however these two require a lot of preparation and thought. When working with such media my emotions don’t dictate what I create, in fact it is quite the reverse. Whatever may be happing around me subsides when the smell of melted wax or the feel of plaster cast surfaces, I suddenly become at peace with myself.

 

When a viewer looks upon my pieces, I want them to be able to feel the emotions that I felt within that very moment, I want them to think back on the times they have felt such emotions and I want them to feel at peace knowing that someone has felt the emotions they have felt. When they leave the gallery, I want them to feel the calm that I felt when my artwork was nearing completion.