Erin Westenskow Berrett

“I am energized when I paint.  I love the way that texture, color, value and painterly brushstrokes can translate my vision of a seemingly ordinary object into something permanent and remarkable. Whether I paint a purple shoe or a persimmon, I want to share my passion for transforming something routine into a painting that makes people stop and look. Ultimately, I want my viewers to reassess what they see every day and to envision the possibilities of gazing at those objects in a new way.

My painting involves continually trying to find enhanced ways to capture sublime splendor and organize my thoughts.  I work with oil paint, light reflection and ways of staging objects. In the end, though, I am simply mesmerized by the process of watching a thousand brushstrokes transform themselves into a credible still life.  I anticipate making magic out of commonplace things. 

I never thought twice about being a painter. It just took me until 2004 to become one. I grew up in Salt Lake City, always drawing, using watercolors or pastels. After high school art classes, I was reassured and continued my pursuit at the University of Utah. I earned my Bachelors in Fine Arts in 1998, studying closely with Paul Davis and Connie Borup, and attending workshops in Helper, Utah.

Following graduation, I worked, traveled around the world, got married, got dogs and always attempted to maintain a studio. Six years after graduation I quit my full-time job. I now work in my studio forty hours a week. I pack a lunch and paint diligently.”

“In the last year, I have participated in eight exhibitions with four more slated. I’ve been featured in seven different publications and have taken home four Best of Show titles. Eight hours a day, alone in my studio without much feedback, I find myself asking my dog, Steve, what he thinks about my work. When he answers me I’ll know I’ve been working too hard.”