HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS Painting

'Light and Space ''about the scale of the universe and the relationship between man and the cosmos. Here or there. ........Chantal Westby creates an intuitive and energetic world of whimsy on her canvases. In order to understand Chantal Westby’s highly abstract compositions one must begin with an appreciation of her spiritual foundation, which she finds expressed in every aspect of our natural and contrived world. These range from the simplest peaceful and poetic landscapes to the more complex manifestations expressed, for example, in images ranging from those provided by the most powerful electron microscope to the immensity of the cosmos as depicted by the Hubble telescope. The scale of our potential field of perception, from the infinitesimally small to the unimaginably large, is a source of wonder to her that cannot be easily explained, and which she finds only reinforced when the dimension of time is introduced, especially the highly abstract notion of eternity. As individuals, as nations, indeed even as the entire living population of the earth, we must admit to occupying a very insignificant place in these grand schemes. Her process is very organic, using natural minerals and splashed ink on large scale canvas , gold leaf, or rice paper to evoke feelings of calmness and spirituality and inspire the viewer’s imagination. It is our imagination that enables us to endure our lowly, finite status and when that imagination is combined with Chantal’s talents of expression, wonderfully evocative works of art are the result. In addition to her dual cultural roots, in her work she utilizes a full pallet of ink colors in combination with gold/silver leaf to produce works that often reflect the strong Asian influence that she is happy to acknowledge- of many Chinese and Japanese masters who seem to have a unique ability to express the harmony, the peace, that can exist despite the uncertainty and awe that the universe can inspire. Chantal Westby ¨Born in France, Westby migrated to the United States in the 1980s and has actively painted in Pennsylvania since her arrival. IN THE NEWS Endorsed by Christies http://us8.campaign-archive1.com/?u=d5d2c245a62098cbe2c631c70&id=498f698bc6 Arnet , http://www.artnet.com June 2015 ; Philadelphia Style http://phillystylemag.