Meet Theresa Weil

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Theresa Weil. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Theresa below.

Theresa, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?

I was influenced by my great aunts, who where professional seamstresses in New York City’s garment district, during its hay day. They were always making doll clothes and other household items sewn from fabric scraps they brought home from work. They would tell me stories of helping other women workers with their tasks and even helping them out with small loans until their next paycheck. Their spirit of loving creativity and sharing it with their community has influenced my career. I work with non profits in my community, today.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am a professional mixed media artist rooted in Oregon arts and culture for the last three decades of career. I create work in various traditional and commercial mediums such as graphic design, ceramics, painting and drawing, and reverse glass painting. These mediums are the foundation for current paper collage works and my “assemblage art” that further explores paper collage and paper board in two- and three-dimensional sculptural work.
I created twenty four paper collage portraits of Oregon”s Non Profit Women Leaders called “Because SHE Cares”. In 2014, it toured the state in both public and private galleries. The purpose of the exhibit was to bring light on how women leaders help make our state a better place and to highlight my work as a woman artist.
My current project is called “The Powers of the Divine Feminine”, which benefits Portland’s Raphael House, a domestic violence shelter. The project consists of my own mixed media works reflective of the divine feminine and thirty four assemblages honoring thirty four multi-generational and multi-geographical women. These assemblages honor their connection to principles of the divine feminine. The show will be in March and April of 2025 in Portland, Oregon.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Get to know your strengths and rely on them and at the same time seek out others to help you get better at your weaker areas.

Stay curious while you are working on creative solutions, don’t be afraid to let time pass, when a problem or block arises. I used to keep trying to fix an issue, afraid to let time pass, but now I see it’s value. Later, when I come back to it with fresh eyes, the solution is there.

Read biographies of other artists that you admire. You will probably find relatable confidence issues and career stumbles which give you new perspectives on your journey, in your career.

Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?

My first boss out of college really believed in me and saw some of my individual abilities and talents, He also taught part-time in the local art college, so I was lucky he had a teacher’s ability in our workplace. In turn, many years later when I became a local college art teacher, I adopted some of his sensibilities to teach students how to gain confidence in their work.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.tweil.com
• Instagram: TWeil Art
• Facebook: Theresa Weil
• Linkedin: Theresa Weil