Most paintings have one artist. WestAbel paintings have two, working on the same canvas, at the same time.

Tanya Abel, founder of Artists For Good, and Ruth Westreich, artist and environmental activist, first connected through a shared belief that art should do good in the world.

Today they paint together whenever they’re both in town, moving around the canvas, answering each other’s brushstrokes, layering color over color until no one can say which mark belongs to whom. It takes trust and respect, and a real admiration for what the other brings: Tanya’s bold acrylic and alcohol-ink energy, and Ruth’s deep love of the natural world.

Why one name? When two artists shape every inch of a painting together, there’s no “my part” and “your part.” So instead of two signatures in the corner, there’s one: WestAbel. It’s a small mark that tells the whole story. These paintings don’t belong to either artist alone. They belong to both.
 

The result is a forest like no other: glowing trunks, lace-like canopies and pools of light that feel peaceful from across the room and full of surprises up close. There’s always a soundtrack, too. Neil Diamond plays while they paint, they dance, and every painting in the series is named for one of his songs.
 

Two artists. One canvas. No boundaries.