Bella Wilhm

Year of birth: 1991.
Where do you live: Pembrokeshire, Wales, UK.
Your education: Self Taught.
Describe your art in three words: Introspective, Fluid, Textured.
Your discipline: Mainly painting and digital illustration.
Website | Instagram

Your connection to the ocean seems very profound. Can you tell us more about how surfing and the ocean influence your creative process?

I think for a lot of people surfing and time immersed in the ocean is a form of escapism, a way of being in a flow state and connecting ourselves with nature and I feel this speaks volumes about my creative process also. I try all different creative techniques, I’m not afraid to experiment, and yet I find myself always drawn back to vibrant blues, messy textures and fluid abstract pieces. I think this is because it’s where I find peace. Whether surfing, swimming or painting, being present and immersing myself fully into my moment, with no expectation of the outcome other than enjoying the process allows beautiful things to happen.

The piece “Breathe Through Grief” is deeply personal. How did creating it help you process your emotions related to grief?

That’s the thing about grief, it is so very personal and we all respond differently but yet it’s something we are all connected by. I’m only in my 30’s and have experienced a huge amount of grief in all forms, from the loss of meaningful relationships to multiple close bereavements. As a sensitive and emotional person this has had a profound impact on my life and creativity has always been there as a constant, a comfort. The hardest periods of my life have seen me reconnect and strengthen my bond with creative practices. I think the ability to pour emotions into a canvas has so many benefits in helping understand feelings. This piece has really helped me through another very difficult time. When I could barely face the world, painting it gave me hope. When I felt anger, splashing colour around was a release. When I felt calm the affirmation of words and brighter colours filled me with joy.

Submerged by Bella Wilhm

You mentioned that the ocean has ‘saved your life many times.’ Could you share a particular moment or story that deeply impacted your art?

I wouldn’t say it’s one particular story (I do have plenty) but I owe so much of my wellbeing to the ocean, as mentioned my life has not been easy but sitting by the ocean, immersing myself in its cold water (particularly here in the UK!) it refreshes me. It provides comfort when I feel lonely for it is always there, and sometimes just like us, it is angry and full of energy and other times it’s calm and inviting. I think it’s a very visual reminder for me of how complex nature is and how much we can be affected by external factors for both better and worse. I tend to always sketch my initial ideas when by water and translate them into more meaningful pieces when I’m ready.

The five stages of grief are a powerful theme in this work. How did you decide to represent each stage within the composition?

I love this question because people who have seen the work all have different interpretations of how these are represented! For me though, it’s important that the “five stages” overlap as they are never a linear journey. Denial for me is represented by the moon, a powerful impacter of tides. It got me thinking about how when in denial we do not stop to notice what phase we are in, we just continue day after day. Anger represented by the stormy waves and slashes of lines through the canvas. Bargaining, stepping out of the shadows and finding the light through pain. Depression, the blues, blacks and heavy rain like drops, the weight of emotion on your shoulders. Acceptance, for me this was the feminine shape being reborn out of the water towards the sun, brighter days are coming. I’m intrigued to know what readers interpretations were though!

Kelp Forest by Bella Wilhm

Mixed media allows for a wide range of textures and layers. What materials did you use for this piece, and how do they reflect the emotional depth of the work?

This piece has so many layers, there’s old canvas work cut up and glued on, layers of acrylic paint everywhere, watercolour and pastel features, cuttings from magazines and newspapers and paint was even applied with my hands, smearing colour around the canvas. Bearing in mind this pieces is 120cms x 100cms it was a huge piece to work on. I guess all of this reflects the messy chaos of grief, no plan, just step by step following your intuition until you make it through.

How do you feel that working without a plan influences your art? Do you find that this process is more freeing or more challenging?

I think I find it very freeing, and actually that is creativity for me. I also do a lot of digital illustration and that’s more precise and planned so painting for me really allows me to go a bit rogue. I guess that speaks more about my character. Just messy, rogue but raw and mostly beautiful!

Bella Wilhm | Breathe Through Grief

You talk about finding beauty in grief. How do you hope viewers interpret the message of beauty amidst pain when they see your work?

I mean I’d love to know how people interpret this piece and grief in general, maybe that’s a follow up piece! But mostly I think art gives us the power to connect with each other and be kind. I hope mostly that if this piece does resonate with viewers, that if in the depths of grief they find comfort in knowing they’re not alone, it’s okay for it to feel messy and consuming. On the contrary, if they’ve come through a journey of grief, they can look and go “Wow I made it through and that’s something really beautiful that I can be proud of”.