Wendy Westlake
modern abstract paintings
Artist Statement:
My work is strongly influenced by my background in watercolor. I begin by pouring or brushing very watery mixes of acrylic paint onto raw canvas. This paint application produces a quality very similar to watercolor on paper.
Shape and color are key aspects of my work. I'm drawn to shapes that fall somewhere between geometric and organic. I enjoy playing with transparency, layering one shape over another, allowing them to affect and influence each other. I associate the interplay of these shapes with human interactions. No one is an island.
I'm inspired by the American Abstract Expressionists, particularly the color fields of Mark Rothko and collages of Conrad Marca-Relli.
REPRESENTATION
Gardner Colby Gallery, Naples FL
LaFontsee Gallery, Grand Rapids, MI
M Fine Arts Galerie, Boston, MA
Samuel Owen Gallery Greenwich CT, Nantucket MA
Veronique Wantz Gallery, Minneapolis, MN
Education/Experience
1992 Associate of Applied Arts, Pima College, Tucson, AZ
2 year Bible AFLBS Bible College
2016-2017 535 Gallery owner/curator
2014-2016 Minnesota Watercolor Society President
Publications
Curatory Magazine Volume 18 2026 www.curatorymagazine.com/post/wendy-westlake
Canvas Rebel feature March 2026 canvasrebel.com/?post_types=&s=Wendy+Westlake
Solo and Two Person Exhibits
2025 Renewed, at Veronique Wantz Gallery, Minneapolis
2025 Venerate, at M Fine Galerie, Boston, MA
2023 Undercurrent Veronique Wantz, Minneapolis, MN
2021 Initium, Veronique Wantz, Minneapolis, MN
2020 The Balance Remains, Veronique Wantz Gallery, Minneapolis, MN - postponed
2018 with Michelle Fagan, Parkside Gallery, Rochester, MN
2017 solo, Verdant Vinings, Gallery 360, Edina, MN
2017 with Bonnie Cutts, 535 Gallery, Rochester, MN
2016 with Nick Sinclair, 535 Gallery, Rochester, MN
2013 with HeeJune Shin, Crossings At Carnegie, Zumbrota, MN