We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Shannon Westphal. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Shannon below.

Hi Shannon , thanks for joining us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

To be successful in a creative field you need to be willing to take risks and trust your instincts. The work that I started out making is so different from what I create now. I started out making 6×6 extremely minimal landscapes, highlighly dictated by horizonline alone. There came a point where that work no longer felt right. I tried breaking my landscapes into more pieces, using changes in light and color to create more dynamic sectioning. This new practice allowed me to reenergize what I was doing. It even inspired me to work larger which has been really fun.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Shannon Westphal and I live with my husband and 2 daughters in Bar Harbor, Maine. My artwork is a contemporary take on minimal landscape paintings. I am inspired by the horizon lines and reflections of light found in nature. I travel around New England on-site to capture place based snapshots in time in my sketchbook. From there I take the sectioned drawings back to my studio and play with color. I work with different color combinations until I have captured the the emotional affect of that place.

My goal is to create a composition that captures the grounded sense of a specific place. I use contrast and color theory to snap the viewers attention to the work, inviting them to forget about any other inner narrative and notice what is front of them. The locations that I paint do this for me, they grab my attention and demand me to notice every details. The mindfulness and level of presence that these locations demand me to practice is such a gift. This if the gift I am trying to give to my viewers.

Any resources you can share with us that might be helpful to other creatives?

I wish I had known about SCORE, a small business mentoring program in Maine. The SCORE mentors gave me the resources and confidence to push my business to the next level.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best new source of new clients has been getting my work into brick-and-mortar small businesses. I have found several small businesses that fit my aesthetic and philosophy. My business wouldn’t be where it is without these local shops.

Contact Info:

• Website: westphalstudio.com
• Instagram: @westphalstudio
• Facebook: Westphal Studio