Article May 6, 2002 Issue

Painting—'a process and a progress'

By Sentinel staff

After dinner on a weeknight, Wendy Feldheim might like to spend some couch time watching Cartoon Network's adorable "Powerpuff Girls." Or, she might like to paint a medieval maiden reminiscent of the "Roman de la Rose." Look at her office workspace and you might find a goofy stuffed frog. Or a portrait of a knight with his sword drawn.

Able to appreciate at once the pleasant buzz of modern culture and the wistful wonder of bygone eras, the Sentinel's designer is by her own admission a study in contrasts. "My mom just laughs," she says, "at the fact that I have these two extremes, and she says, 'I'm glad you have them both, because it balances you out.'"

The first time Wendy went to New York City and walked into a Soho gallery to show her work on a chilly, overcast day, it took some effort. Encouraged by a friend who had come along to show her around—and to give her a little push—she entered a gallery at Greene and Broome Streets to make her first cold call. As she recalls, "It was extremely intimidating. Just to walk cold into a gallery and say, 'Here are my slides. Is there someone I can talk to?' But I was with a friend who was very supportive and believed in what I was doing and wanted me to have this opportunity. I figured I had to try this. I didn't want to be closed-minded if this was what I felt I had to do then, so I was just going to do it. At this one gallery, the owner was in, and she looked at my slides, and I left her some promotional materials. She called me not too long after that and said they'd like to include me in an exhibit."

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