Check out Sarah Westerhaus’ Artwork

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Westerhaus.

Sarah, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
Ever since I was young, I remember having creative bones in my body… aching to draw, make music, write stories, etc. Just like most of us do I lost touch with that for a few years while in school, though I still loved to doodle in my notebooks. When I reached high school, I found a home in Mrs. Davis’ art classroom, and in the comfort of that home, I developed my skills faster than I ever could have imagined. It was like my bones were bursting with that creativity that was once lost and they blossomed into great potential. I started with colored pencils (I actually just had a dream about drawing with colored pencils last night! Haha), and then acrylic paints. I learned how to create my own artwork based on emotions, memories, interests, and above and beyond. I realized that as an artist, we all make up the world we live in, and for me, that includes cutting a path through brush and wild ferns to eventually find the sanctuary I can cultivate my world in. My journey has only just begun; my ideas about life and love and self-identity, the concepts I incorporate into my art the most, have also only just begun to grow in ways that I can share with everyone around me.

We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do? Why? And what do you hope others will take away from your work?
Right now I paint with acrylics the most because the beautifully vibrant colors blend so well that sometimes when I’m working, I feel like I’m dreaming. I have an ever-changing style, but maybe it’s leading to somewhere more permanent for me (although I’m not sure if I believe in anything permanent). Surrealism and abstract techniques are very inspiring to me, so I try to incorporate that into what I love, like portraits of beautiful women, nature, and sometimes everything and nothing in particular. My artwork can be very emotional, especially in the eyes of my portraits. I believe all emotions are beautiful and sacred, and should not be taken for granted. I hope that my art brings emotions to the surface for people so that they can peacefully grow from them and perhaps share that with others. My current main goal is to help heal long-since buried feelings and pain that will not go away with time, but with love and understanding. In doing that I only hope that the world can become more compassionate and happy and emotionally wise, to begin the process of healing the planet and all its inhabitants.

What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Don’t be afraid to do what you want to do. If the way you learn is through copying reference photos, do that, but be honest and share the name of the artist or photographer that you’re copying from. If you have an idea, but you have no idea of how you’re going to accomplish it, start it anyway, because art that is not planned generally turns out the best, because it comes from the mind, body, and soul, while perhaps the planning process mostly comes from the mind. The more you can practice being yourself with no fear (or with some fear that you can continue on with – that’s courage), the more ideas you’ll come up with. The more opportunities you give yourself to grow as an artist or as a person, AKA the more art you make, stories you tell, things you do, etc., the more you will show yourself (and others eventually) what gumption you truly got. So go out there, and get to it. There’s no point in waiting anymore. We’re already here.

Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I have an Instagram with all or most of my art, which is also where people can purchase originals or prints, or order a specific commission. I also have a booth at every First Friday in downtown Phoenix, AZ, usually on 5th street and Roosevelt. Although the main way people can support me is by ordering my art, another way is to share their comments, criticisms, or stories, so that I can continue to grow and better my skills and life experiences. Opportunities to do so, as well as opportunities to show my work (like in this magazine), are all around me, as they are for you too. I believe we are all in this together and whatever support we can give each other is what will ultimately help the planet grow and heal.

Contact Info:

• Phone: 4807206245
• Email: swesterhaus@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sawealism_art/

Image Credit:
Medicine Man
Graham Corp

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