Vancouver, BC – written October 30th, 2024 – Discover the inspiring work of Sascha Westendorp, an emerging artist whose unique perspective and creative energy are set to captivate audiences at this year’s Eastside Culture Crawl. With a bold approach that combines modern themes with traditional techniques, Sascha brings fresh insights into Vancouver’s vibrant art scene. Join us as we introduce Sascha and explore how her work adds a new dimension to the dynamic community of artists at the Eastside Culture Crawl. https://culturecrawl.ca/
Elke Porter: Hello!
Sascha Westendorp: Long time, no see.
Elke Porter: Before we begin, when does the Eastside Culture Crawl start?
Sascha Westendorp: It goes just for the week, basically. So, it starts on a Thursday, November 14th and ends on the Sunday, November 17th, 2024.
Elke Porter: Is this your first time participating?
Sascha Westendorp: Yes, this is my first time participating because I never had a studio down there before. My studio is on Hastings and Commercial Drive. On that corner, there is a bus stop. I have a big window facing out to the street on Hastings.
Elke Porter: How many paintings will you be showing?
Sascha Westendorp: That I am not sure, because the week before that is Circle Craft, and I’m participating in that, too. I have about 15 paintings in all sizes.
Elke Porter: Your paintings are centered on the theme of doors. What is it about doors that inspires you, and how do they symbolize the journey of discovery you aim to create for your audience?
Sascha Westendorp: So, with the doors, doors are always intriguing for me, and they are also intriguing to a lot of other people. Many times, I hear people say, “Oh, I love doors,” when they see my art. I always photograph doors, and there is just something about them.
I was in a pretty bad space in my life when I started photographing more doors and thinking more thoroughly about what I was going to do with them. That’s when I integrated them into my work. For me, it’s the feeling—a door symbolizes transition. It represents a point in life where you have to make a decision. You are standing in front of this door, unsure if you want to go through. Sometimes, it even scares you, or you are unsure if the door will open for you.
What I want to convey is to help people have hope. To do the thing—to really go for it. How often do we say, “Yeah, I would like to do that, but I’m not sure,” and in the end, we are frustrated for not following through? This is where my doors come in. I say, “Here’s your door.”
I travel the world, find doors for everyone, and turn them into paintings that convey hope. They encourage people to manifest what they want in life and follow through because, in the end, you will be happier. If you walk through and it’s not what you thought, there will be another door. But if you don’t try, you will never know.
Elke Porter: That’s a good one. Next question, you mentioned that painting serves as an escape for you. Can you share a memorable moment where you lost yourself in the process and discovered something unexpected?
Sascha Westendorp: Funny that you say that, because right behind me, there’s a painting. Do you see it? What I usually do, as you can see on the other side, is have prints hanging on my wall. At some point, I decide, “Okay, this one is next.” This particular painting was hanging on the door, and I would walk in and out of my studio, seeing it. The print wasn’t very exciting. The door was pretty, but the colors didn’t appeal to me.
At some point, I thought, “No, I’m just doing it now.” So, I put it up and started working on it. I was so amazed at all the colors that came out of it because I do a lot of color matching and work with the colors in the print. I was so excited and happy, and it taught me that sometimes what you think something is, or could be, isn’t it at all. You have to really work with it to reveal its beauty. Superficial judgment is just wrong. If you don’t go deep into the subject, you will never find out.
Another time, I painted a piece and started crying when I finished it. It just evokes so many emotions, and they come unexpectedly, without being forced.
Elke Porter: And do you feel like that when you have to give your art away? Someone buys it, and you have to say goodbye?
Sascha Westendorp: No, absolutely not. I’m not doing this just for myself. Of course, there’s a big part of me that enjoys it and has a passion for it. But at the same time, I paint for people. I want to give them joy and hope.
Elke Porter: How do you hope viewers feel when they encounter one of your door paintings? How do you envision their emotions evolving as they spend more time with it?
Sascha Westendorp: One lady bought a painting, and I actually went to her apartment to hang it over her couch. She told me she had cancer, but this painting just lights up for her. She says that when she sees the painting, she sees my smiling face, and that makes her happy. Other people say the same thing—that it gives them a smile. That’s what I want: to evoke emotions. I don’t have a hard time letting the paintings go because I see how much they love them, and that makes me happy.
When people buy it, it’s a process. They see the painting, come back again and again, and you can see their emotions transform. Then they make the decision to buy it, and I know it’s the right thing I’m doing.
Elke Porter: You describe your art as creating an experience rather than just a visual piece. What elements or techniques do you use to draw viewers into this deeper experience?
Sascha Westendorp: My art has a lot of layers. I work with layers. I have a quote on my website: “Layers of paint are like thoughts upon thoughts, the dimensions run deep.” It’s also about thoughts and life—how everything has layers. I use different techniques with palette knives and brushes for details. Sometimes, I layer different colors onto the same palette knife, and there’s a surprise in how the paint reacts.
You also need patience. Sometimes you have to wait for the paint to dry before going over it again. Failures happen, too, when I’m not patient. I do photo transfers, so I color match and recreate the surroundings of the doors. I enjoy experimenting with materials like sand, sawdust, and fabrics, which is so exciting. It’s a beautiful process.
Elke Porter: In your opinion, what is the role of art in shifting perspectives and revealing new truths? Have there been any particularly meaningful reactions or conversations with viewers that stand out to you?
Sascha Westendorp: It’s all the conversations I’ve had. I get asked about the doors all the time. I’m now part of the Arts of Main Gallery, and people come in, asking about my doors. Some outdoor exhibits lead to conversations where people sit with me for an hour, and we talk.
Elke Porter: Wow!
Sascha Westendorp: I give them hope and new perspectives, and it works. Art helps to start a conversation, and doors are a subject that intrigues many people. Most of the doors I use are centuries old, proving they’ve been standing for over 300 years, still holding up walls. They may look worn, but they’re still beautiful, with layers of paint and patina, like lives lived through them.
This fascination also stems from my love of architecture, since my dad was an architect, and I love history. It all comes together in my paintings. These doors still stand, and it reminds me that if you’re resilient, you too can still be here.
Elke Porter: Yeah, my husband only wanted to see one thing in Germany: the Wittenberg door.
Sascha Westendorp: Oh!
Elke Porter: That was the start of the Reformation. We had to go all the way to Wittenberg.
When a viewer connects with your artwork, you mentioned feeling immense joy. How do these interactions shape your artistic journey, and do they influence the direction of your future work?
Sascha Westendorp: Yeah, definitely. I’m always listening. I think I learned that through my graphic design career—you have to listen. It doesn’t mean I will change things immediately, but I think it through. I’m working on a few changes now, and I like that. Art is something that should spark conversation and evolve, and you can’t do that if you’re not listening.
Elke Porter: Sounds good, good point. Your paintings evoke profound emotional reactions. What emotions or themes do you return to most often, and why do they resonate with you?
Sascha Westendorp: Most people wonder what’s behind the door. That’s the one I hear most. I’ve given presentations about my doors, and someone asked, “How do I know if it’s open?” That doubt people have is often an excuse not to try. I’ve also been asked, “Where’s the key to the door?” That’s when I started adding keys to my paintings. Now, when I sell my bigger paintings, a key comes with it. It’s a fun detail but also symbolizes not letting fear stop you from trying.
Elke Porter: Yeah, that’s good.
Sascha Westendorp: Right? Most reactions I get are, “Beautiful,” or, “What a genius idea!” Some people think it’s a painted door and are amazed when I explain the process. Others scoff, and that’s okay—it’s not for them. When you put yourself out there, you open yourself up, and sometimes you get hurt. But you have to learn not to take it personally.
Elke Porter: Exactly. If you just want to spend a minute talking about how you first got started, like what brought you to…
Sascha Westendorp: To the doors, or to painting in general?
Elke Porter: Painting.
Sascha Westendorp: I always painted, and I was painting, drawing, watercolor. When I was younger and also in school, that was always my favorite part of school, doing art classes. Then came the time, it was the same for me, I thought, “Oh, I’m probably not good enough” – the slammed door. I didn’t want to walk through and said, “I will not apply for fine arts, because they will not take me.” So, the fear of disappointment and rejection. At the same time, I said, “But I am a creative, I just can’t help it, and I have to let it out somewhere.” It was also the notion back then that it’s hard to make a living by just being an artist, and that was, for me, probably a little bit of an excuse too, to not go that route. So, I started graphic design.
First, I became a silk screen printer because my dad, being an architect, did the same thing, and he always told me, “It’s a smart thing before you study a craft, study something. If you know a craft before that, then you have a deeper understanding.” He became a mason before he studied architecture, so he had a deeper understanding of how a house is built.
I did an internship in Munich, and the graphic designer I was with suggested, because I said to him, “I would like to do the same thing, and I would like to do something practical, learn a trade before I start studying graphic design.” Then he said, “How about silk screen printing?” I was like, “What the heck is that?” But I did it. I did an apprenticeship in that, and I loved it so much that I was then asked to do a master’s in it and run the place. You can only teach other apprentices if you have the master’s, so that’s what they wanted from me; they would have paid for the master’s.
But then it all went a different way because this is how life is, and the company went belly up. By that time, I had already started being interested in computers, which had just come out. I was interested in designing on a computer, so I started doing a multimedia design course. The school focused either on the print side or the film side, where you do 3D and rendering, and because I was already on the print side, I was way more interested in that. So, I did it. I went into the graphic design area.
Then I went further and did desktop publishing, which I loved a lot too.
Then we came to Canada, and I raised the kids. I was always creative in some way or form. There were musicals at school, and I helped design the costumes, or there was some poster that had to be done, or I did the newsletter for the Dunbar neighborhood. I was always doing something. I worked a little, but in the end, I went back to school here as well. I learned all the programs again and learned how to design websites, and I did that for a while.
But again, I always did a lot of photography. I always loved photography, and then I took courses at Emily Carr. I started a lot of mixed media here and there, and I loved it.
And then I think what really changed was that I had an injury. I had arthritis in my neck, very bad, so I couldn’t sit at the computer for a long time. I had to do something different. It really brought me down, because it was just like… and this is when the doors started closing. Then Covid happened too.
Elke Porter: Yes, that didn’t help. Covid that is.
Sascha Westendorp: So now you got my whole life story.
Elke Porter: Thank you for your time and good luck with the Circle Craft and the Culture Crawl!
Sascha Westendorp Bio
My inspiration comes from deep within me! I am a strong believer in Hope and Motivation.
There is always a way.
Through my own struggles I did find the doors on my travels and in particular on my Camino hikes I have done over the years. I have walked by many doors. I captured these with my camera. Brought them home and turned them into mesmerizing mixed media paintings. Not only are my doors mostly old, the walls surrounding them very often showing a beautiful patina that gives me an enormous amount of possibilities and excitement to use colour and layering. Working with these layers up on layers of colouring on these old walls makes me feel like touching these walls again. And of course the Doors, they represent so much, they have been there mostly for centuries and have persevered and are inviting the viewer to come and explore the possibilities.
The mystery – what is behind the door is always present. The meaning of doors is huge and doors speak to many people. I want to motivate the viewer with my paintings to dare to try something new to persevere and go for whatever is behind the door. Be curious and see the possibilities.
My technique in transferring the photo onto the canvas and blending it with the abstract brings together the way life is. Where there is chaos, there also has to be calm – the doors invoke a longing. The layers and layers of acrylic paint I bring onto the canvas, mostly with palette knives, represent the layers and layers of someone’s life.
My mission is to bring hope to people and give them new ways, to lift them up, to share my positive energy and make them see the possibilities beyond.
My paintings surprise the viewer, very often the reaction is bewilderment and the wonder how it came to be. The photo transfer does not reveal itself right away, so a reaction is instant, questions and amazement follow. Wonderful conversations follow.
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