Welcome
ARTIST STATEMENT
My paintings illustrate the fluid motion of our own energy. When I attack a canvas my biggest hurdle is to push away all fear so the lines come forth as strong and confident. I do not sketch or format a composition before I begin. What I do is tune into the moment and turn the experience into a visual interpretation.
ARTIST BIO
Heather Miller was born in Minnesota where she spent her early years carving forts and imaginary creatures from the snow and lining sticks in the mud. Her connection to nature was cultivated as a child and even now, living in northeast Indiana, Heather still reaches for the sky when inspiration seems to dim.
“I definitely work intuitively. I try to make a connection with my surroundings and capture the way my spirit reacts to that space within a given moment of time. I don’t try to recreate a landscape; my pieces reflect me trying to paint the essence of a space and my experience felt while there. Right now, my paintings stay far away from literal translations.
I prefer to work outdoors near water, but living in Indiana, that can be a bit of a challenge. Many of my current paintings were done in the Pacific Northwest. The dramatic coastline and others inspired some of my most recent pieces by mountain rivers near Portland, Oregon. At home I love to paint in the rain. Sometimes I bring the canvas outside for short spurts and let the drops beat down on the wet paint. I like the fast action that the rain insists. I use my fingers, spray bottles, pointed skewers, painting knives, and old, beat-up brushes to create my work. Sometimes a painting comes together quickly and is almost instantly satisfying. Other times the process is defeating and frustrating. I have to know when to step away from the paint. If I give myself enough time, I can feel what do to next, then I act quickly. My best work happens when I can work fearlessly.”
Heather also enjoys experimenting with clay as she builds organic, slab vessels. A wide range of natural material, including rocks, corn, leaves, seeds, pine needles, bark, and grass, are used to imprint the clay with texture. “I often throw the slabs directly onto organic materials and let the clay pick up the impressions of objects as it spread across the work surface. The very movement of the clay working with and against gravity dictates its final form. It is my hope that each piece captures a feeling of life and movement, as if the work itself were an organic, living being.”
With a degree in education and a respectable list of publishing credits, Heather also works as an art teacher and a children’s book author. Her most recent publications include, Subway Ride and This is Your Life Cycle, both of which received notable awards. She collaborates with other artists who illustrate her work. “I like the extra layer of thinking that the other artists add to my work.”
Heather serves the children of her region as a strong advocate for the arts. Heather works for Oak Farm Montessori School as the art specialist. Her art program stresses creative thinking, problem-solving and visual communication through individual expression. She stands as the Vice President of the Foundation for Art and Music in Education, also known as FAME. The foundation offers an abundance of programming such as a residential arts camp, a visiting artist program, and hosts a huge art festival for all children in the region. Heather paints in her studio at home where she also teaches art classes after school to the children in her neighborhood.
Heather’s work can be found in these galleries:
Essentials and Frosting, Auburn, Indiana
Northside Galleries, Fort Wayne, Indiana
Xanadu Gallery, Scottsdale, Arizona
Marion Street Gallery, Oak Park, Illinois
AUTHOR
Heather has authored over thirty books for children including three award-winning picture books; Look Behind! Tales of Animal Ends, (published by Greenwillow 2008) This Is Your Life Cycle, (published by Clarion 2008) and Subway Ride (published by Charlesbridge 2009) Visit Heather’s Author Site for more information about her books!
LINKS
Author, Artist, instructor