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June 16, 2017 by Terran 4 Comments

A Family Heritage of Art // Westway’s New Brand

I come from a long line of artists. My mom’s mother (my nana) is an amazing pen and ink artist, one of my aunts is a photographer, another aunt is an oil painter, my dad was a talented musician, and his mother (my grandma) was a master painter. My grandma and I shared many things — a love for the country, animals (she loved her kitty cats!), and colorful art. When she passed, I took a few of her paintings home and hid them in the closet; it was too painful to have them out. After a few months, my husband dug one out that he knew to be a top favorite (oddly enough, a cityscape) and hung it above my desk. I sobbed when I saw it and cried, “I’m not ready!” but he reminded me that displaying her art keeps her alive and our bond unbroken. I’m pretty sure that made me cry even harder.

When I embarked on rebranding Westway Studio, I dug deep, deep into my soul to figure out the true meaning of Westway. It turns out, it’s all about family, heritage, doing good, and pioneering new trails.

As I brainstormed ideas for my new logo, I first decided on the bison — the spirit of the American West. The silhouette came from a photograph I captured on one of my many trips to Yellowstone. Bison are strong, determined, and can persevere through the harshest conditions Mother Nature can throw at them. To me, they represent all that is still wild in this world and I knew there was no better totem for my business.

But the bison alone wasn’t enough.

I kept looking for inspiration everywhere I could think of, but nothing fit… until I pulled out my grandmother’s paintings again. When I found one of her watercolors depicting a quintessential old red country barn in a perfectly idyllic autumn northeast landscape, it was like a bolt of lighting hit me from above; this is what I was searching for! It was my way to celebrate where I came from, my family, childhood memories, and my grandmother’s legacy.

I photographed her painting up close, focusing in on areas with a rich variety of colors. When I found the perfect spot, I adjusted the colors on the computer to more closely match the colors found in my own artwork. I put the watercolor and bison silhouette together and it became the perfect blend of her art and mine; a true celebration of her legacy and the path I’m pioneering.

So, welcome to the brand new Westway… filled with heart, soul, and the desire to leave a legacy as special as my family left me.

 

Filed Under: field notes

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Auntie Joannie says

    June 19, 2017 at 2:02 pm

    You make me cry I’m so proud of you.

    Reply
  2. Sophie says

    July 13, 2017 at 4:42 pm

    So amazing, Terran! You are truly talented!

    Reply
  3. Jasmine says

    July 19, 2017 at 2:44 pm

    OMG, I adore the story of how your brand came to be. So significant to be able to infuse it with so much history, meaning, and love!

    Reply
  4. Laura Mertz says

    July 20, 2017 at 12:53 am

    This is so beautiful! Such a talent!

    Reply

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Wyoming better move on over and make some room bec Wyoming better move on over and make some room because Montana now shares my heart. We spent 45 days in the western half of the state this year and I did NOT want to leave.​​​​​​​​​ ​​​​​​​​​On our last day, Roxy and I sat out by the Gallatin River together. I sipped my morning tea, we listened to the birds, and watched a little squirrel eat a nut in the tree next to us. It was pure perfection.⁣ 
My *TWO* Montana blogs are up on my website so head on over to westwaypets.com/blog or click the links in my IG bio!
We're officially back in San Diego but I'm still d We're officially back in San Diego but I'm still dreaming of Utah! Photographing Rey and her mom among the red rocks was one of the highlights of our trip. Rey's beautiful brindle tones worked so perfectly with the red rocks and I just loved the happy, natural smiles both mom & pup had when they were together!
I absolutely loved this peaceful spot in Jackson H I absolutely loved this peaceful spot in Jackson Hole. Down a gravel road, away from the tourist crowds, the Teton range stood nobly in the distance while tall trees, yellow wildflowers, and a friendly little chipmunk called this hilltop home. This was such a special evening and Mother Nature's dramatic sunset is not one I'll soon forget.
Here's a little Montana sunrise sparkle and a big Here's a little Montana sunrise sparkle and a big smile from Henry to start your day!
Hello, Las Vegas! Shutterhound starts TOMORROW!!!! Hello, Las Vegas! Shutterhound starts TOMORROW!!!! I know how hard the conference founders, Kaylee & Sam, have been working to pull this all together and I am 1,000,000% confident this will be an event to remember! I am honored to have been asked to teach two separate classes at the event and am so excited to get up there on stage and share what I've learned over the past 13 years as a pet photographer! Are any of my social followers here at the conference, too? Are you ready to have your socks knocked off????? I am!!!
Who's ready to go have some fun this weekend??? Who's ready to go have some fun this weekend???
We wrapped up this year's road trip in Big Sky, Mo We wrapped up this year's road trip in Big Sky, Montana and this was our final hike. Roxy rode in her carriage and was as happy as a little clam the whole time. She loves being out in nature and I'm just so glad we can still provide her with special outings like this one.
This year's Great American Road trip flew by way t This year's Great American Road trip flew by way too quickly. It feels like we were in Wyoming just yesterday, staring out at my favorite mountain range in awe, and photographing the amazing Harley and his mom.​​​​​​​​​ 
I'm flying out to Las Vegas next week to teach at Shutterhound, *the* conference for pet photographers. I'm excited to see old friends, meet new ones, and teach two classes! I am so honored to be part of the "rockstar speaker" lineup, which includes some of the very best, most iconic, and talented pet photographers from across the globe! Can Vegas even contain so much talent? As the conference founders are telling us, expect your socks to be blown right off more than once!
Montana taught me that I can plan and plan and pla Montana taught me that I can plan and plan and plan — but Mother Nature likes to have a little fun with those who get a little too confident in the weather! ➡️ We got completely drenched at one of our photo shoots this month and it will be one of my favorite memories from our entire road trip!
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Recent Posts

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