Abigail West and the Art of Running

Meet artist-athlete Abigail West. Abigail hails from Athens, Georgia, the place the plush mountains and forests of rhododendrons infuse each her path working adventures and her paintings. Abigail has collaborated with and designed items for a number of corporations, together with UltrAspire, Terignota, and the Path Operating Movie Pageant. She additionally designed a collaboration between Janji and Aravaipa Operating that simply debuted.

Abigail West working on the 2025 Canyons 100k. Photograph: Kristen Nelson

In 2024, Abigail joined Tara Dower throughout her historic fastest-known-time run on the Appalachian Path and designed a print with Tara to boost cash for Hurricane Helene restoration efforts. When not making artwork, Abigail loves lengthy days out on the paths and is presently prepping for her largest journey but: turning into a mother. Maintain your eyes peeled for an additional collaboration Abigail has within the path working world, and take a look at her work. Right here is Abigail West in her personal phrases:

Who’s Abigail West?

I name myself an artist-athlete, as a result of each are actually necessary in how I dwell my life, although I do put “artist” first in that configuration on goal! I’ve been an artist for so long as I can keep in mind, whereas athletics got here just a little later, and artwork is a bit more dependable within the sense that even after I’m injured, I can concentrate on my paintings.

I obtained into working after being a extremely aggressive rower in highschool. I solely obtained into that sport as a result of I wanted a bodily training credit score and discovered I may very well be a superb coxswain — the tiny particular person in cost. I fell in love with aggressive sports activities, like discovering a lacking puzzle piece, and discovered I made a reasonably respectable rower, too. We received the nationwide championships my senior 12 months, however I didn’t need to pursue school sports activities. I needed to journey in school. I additionally appreciated working, and it’s a good way (maybe even one of the simplest ways) to see new locations. I began working extra right here in Athens after I got here right here for faculty, and later discovered path working by the local people, and haven’t regarded again.

My husband, Michael Ross, can be an artist and runner, and he’s an enormous a part of how I obtained into path working and ultrarunning. I like getting out within the woods with him and our canine, Cider. I’m doing much less of that proper now, although, as I’m presently 37.5 weeks pregnant with our first youngster! I’m additionally a passionate consultant of the U.S. Southeast. I find it irresistible right here.

What’s the connection for you between path working and making artwork?

I like the steadiness between working and the type of artwork I’m making now. A ton of my inspiration and imagery comes from what I see after I’m out working, particularly from lengthy adventures. These lengthy days outdoors open your coronary heart up, and I attempt to seize that feeling as a lot because the landscapes we fall in love with. It’s additionally a pleasant steadiness from a day-to-day perspective: coaching a part of the day after which being within the studio for the remainder of the day.

Abigail West displaying a few of her model collaborations. Photograph courtesy of Abigail West.

What’s your “why” for every of them?

Why I make artwork could be the extra simple of the 2. I’ve been doing it my entire life. I see issues a sure means and really feel a have to seize and categorical them. The medium is only a format. I haven’t at all times been a printmaker. The truth is, earlier than this, I used to be constructing steel furnishings out of reclaimed supplies. Certainly one of life’s largest challenges, in my expertise, is you can’t do all the things, so narrowing down to 1 medium lets you go deeper and be extra articulate in the way you categorical your concepts. Printmaking is what provides me that proper now, and I do know I’m on the suitable path as a result of I by no means run out of concepts, simply time.

For working, when individuals ask me why I’m so into it, I typically clarify that it’s a life-style. I like the coaching and the way I construction my life round it. My husband, Michael, is a runner and artist, too. He understands and helps my drive to coach, and whereas figuring out the logistics of life isn’t at all times straightforward, we’re each motivated to be lively and aggressive in our personal methods. And that’s the opposite half. I’m actually aggressive, and having athletics as a long-term pursuit provides me an ideal outlet for that a part of myself.

What drew you to printmaking? Another media you fancy?

I do numerous artwork festivals, and speak to lots of people at them, and sometimes get requested how I obtained into printmaking. My reply is normally: good highschool artwork academics! I’ve a lot respect and appreciation for artwork academics; they’re so necessary for fostering not simply the following era of artists, but in addition artwork appreciation in most of the people. It’s good for everybody!

I reconnected with printmaking in school right here on the College of Georgia, extra as an strategy to creating than because the medium itself. It’s really so much like working. It’s very rooted in course of, and there are numerous repetitive parts. I’m presently centered on reduction printmaking, partially as a result of it’s been the simplest kind to arrange a house studio round. I additionally love how printmaking is a democratic medium. I could make unique artworks which can be inexpensive to extra individuals as a result of I’m making originals in multiples. It means I’ve to succeed in a wider viewers/have a better quantity of gross sales, nevertheless it’s tremendous particular to me how many individuals I can join with by my work, particularly on condition that we’re connecting over our shared love of those landscapes.

I attempt to attract and paint watercolors when touring. I used to do much more of that, so I’m at all times aspiring to be extra diligent about it! We’re all works in progress.

Abigail West with one in every of her prints. Photograph courtesy of Abigail West.

You appear drawn to landscapes and botanical prints. Are there any explicit locations which can be your favourite?

I take into account myself fortunate to dwell on the sting of Southern Appalachia, and these mountains really feel just like the definition of house to me. I get to do most of my huge coaching within the mountains of North Georgia and Western North Carolina, and I preserve making prints of those scenes, with no plans of stopping! My favourite wildflower might be the flame azalea, and I’m unhappy that my final discount print of 1 is bought out — time to do one other one!

I additionally love that I can seize the inspiration I really feel somewhere else I journey to, which has led to enjoyable race and model collaborations. Whereas I can’t absolutely take in the main points of the panorama whereas I’m within the midst of working a race, I like to return out the next day, if I’ve time. Then I can stroll (hobble) round, make a number of sketches, and take reference images. I can then mix that with the remembered feeling of traversing many miles on foot.

Artwork, like working, ebbs and flows. How do you keep motivated?

Simply preserve transferring. It’s the identical in each. Like in an extremely, once you need to cease or stop, you simply need to preserve going ahead, and comprehend it’ll finally get higher. In artwork, if I really feel a lull in artistic concepts, I’ll undergo previous notes or images and keep in mind an concept I had, and simply get began on it, ideally with out overthinking issues.

I’ve this sequence of state flower prints, partially for this very purpose. If I’m unsure what to work on subsequent, I can do one other state. It will not be probably the most enjoyable of all of the issues I work on to undergo all of the steps of establishing a brand new state — I print these over previous maps, so there’s numerous formatting that goes into planning them — nevertheless it’s rewarding, after which I can attain new individuals!

Abigail West setting a brand new girls’s supported quickest identified time on the Georgia Loop in 2025. Photograph: Pete Schreiner

Should you might give any recommendation to your youthful self, what would it not be?

, I actually wouldn’t change a lot concerning the path that I’ve taken to get the place I’m now — a path I really feel I’m very a lot nonetheless actively on, by the way in which. I don’t really feel as if I’ve arrived at any explicit vacation spot, however relatively that I’ve opened one door after one other that has led me to what I’m doing now. And I certain do really feel like I’m nonetheless knocking on doorways.

So preserve knocking on a lot of doorways. If I performed out a simulation of my life, I think about completely different doorways may need opened, and I might’ve gone by these and achieved one thing else that was additionally actually thrilling. However I wouldn’t change the place I’m now. I’m fairly excited for no matter is coming subsequent.

Do you will have any prints, artwork tasks, or life objectives that you’re enthusiastic about?

That is probably the most thrilling half! I’m about to have a child! It seems like the most important artistic endeavor of our lives.

I even have an enormous artistic collab mission between Janji and Aravaipa Operating launching proper now. We first began speaking about this mission in 2024, nearly two years in the past! Attire has a very lengthy lead time. I made this paintings in direct collaboration with Janji, and its composition is deliberately structured to function a sample for attire. That was a enjoyable, artistic problem I’d by no means labored with earlier than. The colours of the attire are pulled from a classic geological map of Arizona that I discovered in america Geological Survey digital archives.

For a lot of my work, I’m doing it on their own in my studio, so seeing this come to life by a artistic collaboration is extremely thrilling to me! I used to be initially going to be on the full in-person launch on the Black Canyon Ultras, however that occurs to fall nearly precisely on my due date. I’m excited to witness it from afar whereas I work on my subsequent huge artistic mission right here at house. People can view and buy the attire on-line from Janji, and the unique block print (which is a restricted run of simply 80 prints) instantly from my web site.

Most of my mind cells are devoted to the infant proper now, as you may think about, however I’m excited concerning the 12 months we’ve mapped out forward. I might be doing a few spring artwork festivals right here within the Southeast, after which this summer season, Michael might be educating artwork in Italy, so we’ll be in Europe for 2 months with the infant. Hopefully, I’ll be getting again into coaching by then. I’ve been actually lucky to maintain working a good bit all through this being pregnant, with out too many main points. I’ve this sense in my bones that, so long as I’m sensible in how I recuperate postpartum, I can come again stronger than ever earlier than. That’s actually thrilling to me.

Abigail West and companion Michael Ross out on a run. Photograph courtesy of Abigail West.

Who’re your inspirations in artwork and working?

In working, proper now, I’m tremendously impressed by girls who’re stronger than ever after having youngsters. To be clear, I don’t know the way it’s going to look balancing our artwork careers with my aggressive working and having a baby, however I do know that my life is fairly unconventional already, and I’m actually excited to construct one thing that works for us, as a result of that’s how we’ve achieved all the things up till this level. I take numerous inspiration from different ultrarunning girls who’re crushing it with youngsters, and I like that there are too many to even identify all of them!

In artwork, I’m typically impressed by different “working artists.” I journey round on the artwork competition circuit a good bit, and I like assembly different artists who’ve additionally constructed one thing from scratch that works for them. It’s a reasonably small pool of people that all have a excessive danger tolerance, as exhibits can go rather well and likewise generally be actually disappointing, and we simply need to preserve transferring ahead and making an attempt. I additionally assume the most effective — and most healthful — use of Fb as a platform is a number of the artist teams I’m in, the place I can see what different printmakers are doing and study from them.

Abigail West working at an artwork present. Photograph courtesy of Abigail West.

Should you may very well be a tree, what sort of tree would you be?

Rhododendrons may not be thought of timber. I acknowledge this. However I’m additionally a little bit of a bend-the-rules kind, and the rhododendrons are one function that makes our Southern mountains iconic and beloved. I can’t get by a complete interview with out waxing on, at the least just a little bit, about how underrated and superb our trails and mountains are right here. It is best to come run them, and inform me a rhododendron tunnel isn’t probably the most enchanting issues! Among the first artwork I keep in mind making about this panorama was impressed by a blanket of fallen rhododendron blooms on a path within the Nice Smoky Mountains — probably the most magical place on earth.