Feature: BRIDGET WINDER Sings And Paints At The Same Time To Celebrate Her Passions

While the sad news reported by the New York Times that Broadway would remain closed until June, many New York-based performers started to entertain online. Bridget Winder is both an actor and painter and reaches out through YouTube and other platforms. Her credits include regional theater and off-off-Broadway, and the Singing-and-Painting series.

Bridget created the series, available on YouTube in 2017 as a way to merge her love for musical performance and painting and currently has completed 14 projects.

According to Bridget, her creative process as an artist started later in life while she always performed musical theater when she was young.

"I followed a typical track of performing in high school and getting into a college program at the University of Alabama in musical theater. However, instead of moving to New York [City], which had been my plan since I was a kid, I moved to Los Angeles after graduation," she explains. "When I moved to Los Angeles, that is when my art really took off. I did start to draw while attending college. I was going through a dark period and needed the art therapy."

It was her sister that suggested that Bridget buy a sketchbook and draw what she was feeling. Bridget loved it and created a series, Late Night Sketching, where she drew something daily for about three years. She credits this process for drawing the darkness out of her but also showing her that she had a love and gift for art.

It was the passing of her father that inspired Bridget to buy some paint and discover her talent for painting as well. While self-taught, she has created artwork for celebrities and other high profile individuals and thrived in Los Angeles.

But New York called her name, so Bridget made the decision to move to the Big Apple and take a bite with her acting and artistry.

Before her big move, Bridget returned to her hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana, to help her mother after the passing of her father. It was during this period she started developing the concept of Singing-and-Painting.

"I finally made it to New York about two years ago, and last February, I performed my first Singing-and-Painting show for 90 minutes off-off-Broadway at the West End Lounge. I sang and painted a 4-foot-by-5-foot canvas in front of a live audience. I loved it and would like to do another one," she explains. "It was so amazing to see it all come together. It was terrifying but also a spectacular experience."

Bridget has been in cast in an off-Broadway show, Alfo Learns to Love, but with the quarantine and closures, a new opening date has not been set.

The good news is that Bridget appeared in a movie, A Fairy Tale After All, showcasing her musical talents. She portrays a witch, combining the elements of a fairy tale with unexpected twists and turns. The film is due to be released within the year.

Bridget creates and paints live on Instagram (@BridgetWinder), and past Singing-and-Painting can be viewed by clicking here. She is working on making Singing-and-Painting more adaptable on stage in front of a live audience in an original format with her storyline.

"I feel very prepared to create and feel what I am emotionally doing to put into something for audiences to enjoy."

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