In 1953, Lynda Wesley traveled with her parents from their home in Groton, CT so her father could accept a one-year construction contract in the Virgin Islands.  The Wesley family fell in love with St. Thomas, and decided to stay permanently.    Thus began a journey that would afford her the opportunity of enjoying life in a different culture, enriched by a harmonious blend of people of different races and broadly varying social situations.
 In these paintings, she has tried to capture her fondest memories of the childhood she spent on St. Thomas.    Growing up in a close knit, but cosmopolitan community allowed her to develop an eye for appreciating the simple daily happenings of a small town with a worldly flavor.  There was an acceptance and respect for solid values along with a robust zest for fun.   The experience provided her with whimsical subject matter.  And she wanted to paint it.
 Working in acrylics, she’s relied on the vibrant colors that make up the Caribbean palette to allow her to represent the pleasant rhythm of daily life there.  In a style reminiscent of classic folk art, she has tried to capture a world through the innocence of a child’s eye.   She hopes she has conveyed the deep spiritualism of the people in the communal grieving of a loved one at a funeral procession, and the modest ritual of a May crowning in a park.    She hopes she has   accurately rendered the joy of celebrating holidays and festivals in the Christmas revelers, and the Carnival parade with its mocko jumbies and steel bands.   She hopes her paintings have made it possible for you to share memories of what she considers a unique and delightful experience.

A self-taught artist, she is a member of the Pacific Street Artists’ Guild in New London, CT, and an elected member of the Mystic Art Center in Mystic, CT.