SF Open Studios 2019

SECESSION ART & DESIGN, SAN FRANCISCO

Please join me at Secession Art & Design to see my latest work in person during Open Studios Weekend 3. I’ll be in my studio with brand-new art of all sizes, plus notecards and pillows. I’ll also be pouring some as-yet-unreleased Imagery Estate Winery 2017 Tusca Brava, featuring my artwork on the label.

Preview Party: Friday, October 25 , 6-9pm

Open Studios: Saturday, October 26 & Sunday, October 27, 11am-6pm

Secession Art & Design, 3235 Mission St at Valencia, San Francisco, CA

Secession’s Open Studios show, Modulation, also features artists Steve Javiel, Jeff Klarin, Jamai Lowell, Carol Pesce-Imlay, and Kate Mckinley.

1910postcard_1000.jpg



Art and Wine - A Natural Pairing

Art and Wine - A Natural Pairing

Last year, I was approached by the curator of Imagery Estate Winery to create a label for one of their wines. I could paint anything that I wanted, with the stipulation that, like every label they commission for their wines, it had to include a likeness of the Parthenon. I was thrilled for the opportunity to create a piece for them.

Read More

12th Anniversary Show at Secession

Save the date! Opening Party Friday, August 2, 6-9pm


Dear Friends,

Since 2007, when Eden opened Secession Art & Design, I've been proud to be a part of her vision. For nearly 12 years now, this beautiful gallery and boutique has been my home. Working in a small studio in a public space is not for everyone, but for me it's been an immense source of creative input and opportunity.

Keeping a retail business going in San Francisco is a serious challenge. It's due to Eden's hard work and genuine warmth that Secession is still going strong 12 years later and I hope I'll be a part of it for many more.

Come celebrate another year with us! I will have some new, large-scale colorful work on the main gallery walls that I'm really excited to show you.

Warmly,
Heather

Summer Paintings Keep Coming

Dear friends,

Summer is upon us! I always paint a great deal in summer - the colors and light are so inspiring. This year, the streets of San Francisco are abuzz with tourists and residents, all enjoying the sights and the occasional warm day.

My eye has been turning to the juxtaposition of nature and architecture, my area of study in school. The geometric lines of our city's buildings and the concrete live alongside the birds and flowers and trees that bring life to the city. 

I also have two events this summer:

  • I'm celebrating my ten years at Secession Art & Design with a 10th anniversary show in the gallery, featuring work by me, Cindy Shih and Victoria Veedell. The party for this show is Friday, August 4, 6-9pm.
  • And, next week, the reception for "Strange Cousins from the West" is happening on July 20 at Sierra Arts in Reno, Nevada. 


My new work will be posted later this month online, and featured at the shows. To find out more, do reach out!


Warmly,
Heather

PS: for those who were asking - the first art pillows are nearly done! Stay tuned for their big debut!

"Royals", a collaboration between Josh Coffy and me, now showing at Sierra Arts in Reno

"Royals", a collaboration between Josh Coffy and me, now showing at Sierra Arts in Reno

That empty spot on the wall

Decorating a space is hard. Usually, we pick a few statement pieces to anchor a room and then lose steam. I was looking at my home - at the funky corners and odd bits of wall. What would bring life to this alcove? How can we dress up the entryway?

What it needs is something modestly-sized and decorative, with enough color to tie together all the nearby spaces. I picked up my paint and some 12 x 12 inch panels. They're the perfect size for a complete visual story, without dominating a whole wall.

Out came a few lively paintings. I was surprised by how inspired I became by the practical problem of dressing up a corner.

Some are online - Clarity of Thought and The Deepest Sea - but I have four new ones in the studio. Reach out or stop by my studio at Secession Art & Design in San Francisco. 
 

Come see me at Glassybaby this Tuesday

Ever wonder how art can fit in with the rest of your decor? I took some of my smaller-format paintings to Glassybaby this week and was overjoyed by the stunning pairings that came together. Their colorful hand-blown votives and my art are a great match.

This Tuesday, I'm thrilled to be exhibiting at Glassybaby in Palo Alto:

Tuesday, June 6, 10am-5pm
Glassybaby at the Stanford Shopping Center
180 El Camino Real #1145
Palo Alto, CA 94304

Come be the first to see my latest 12" x 12" mixed media paintings - I am putting the finishing touches on them right now!

Glassybaby will be donating 10% of store sales that day to Artspan, my favorite local arts organization. If you want to purchase from the store but can't make it, call the store at (650)521-1919 and mention "ArtSpan". I'm also giving ArtSpan 10% of my sales that day.

I look forward to seeing you there!

From panels to prints to pillows? New adventures in art

Dear friends,

At the end of April I participated in a big art show here in SF - the StARTup Art Fair. It was held in hotel rooms, which was pretty cool. And feeling inspired by the theme, I printed some of my art pieces onto fabric and covered the bed with a comforter and throw pillows.

While my new paintings, The Key to Happiness and This Kind of Romance, got a lot of positive attention - everyone wanted to take home a pillow! 

Of course, I didn't have many to sell - but I was inspired by the passionate response to them. Why not use fine art in actual decor?

So, I'm looking into making up some pillows for sale. In the meantime, prints and paintings are all still available. I'd love to know what pieces you'd like to see on your couch - do let me know! 

Warmly,
Heather

 

photo by Lisa J Ellis

photo by Lisa J Ellis

Check out my feature on Artsy Shark

Dear Friends,

I'm so excited to have been featured this week in Artsy Shark! It's a premier online destination for artists and creative entrepreneurs, and I am honored to have been selected by the curator, Carolyn Edlund. 

Carolyn covered my "Attraction" pieces, which are the type I'm presently working on in the studio as well. Lately, I've felt the draw of a larger canvas, where I can:

  • Marry geometric patterns with organic motifs
  • Explore a broader palette while maintaining an openness to the work
  • Feel surrounded by the work in my little studio, diving in wholly to each piece

I have an exciting spring planned - I can't wait to tell you more about it. Hopefully, I'll see you at an upcoming show! Until then, I'll be diligently painting away.

Warmly, 
Heather

PS: I've added a set of new Pattern Birds to my website. These are the last ones until the end of the year, so now's the time to grab one if it catches your fancy.

 

Some art explodes. Mine emerges.

Dear Friends,

Artists often get together and compare notes, techniques and inspiration. After these conversations, I sometimes wonder how much the art lover can see the range of process in the finished work. 

Some of my esteemed friends feel inspiration striking like lightning. Following its lead, they produce exceptional pieces at an almost frantic pace. It must be quite the experience!  For me, the process is a puzzle, slowly emerging:

  • Every piece has at least 10 layers of paint or medium, which must dry before I add the next. 
  • I start by setting up a "problem" - a sort of visual sudoku to resolve with paint.  Too simple, and I'm unsatisfied with the result. Too complicated, and the art gets cluttered.
  • The painting reveals itself to me over the course of days and weeks - and is often impossible to recreate.

My longer process matches the type of art I create. My paintings are vibrant, colorful but calming pieces that are visually resolved and pleasing. Sometimes, I wish the process were more evident, but I am happy if the result is joy.

Take a look at some of my recent pieces. I'm actually working on a few more right now at the studio, including the one above - I'll share them when they are done!

Warmly, 
Heather

kindofromancemailchimp.jpg