Meet the artist
I could be really professional here and start this intro like I didn't write it about myself, with some sort of blurb that mentions my work history and achievements, and reads something like "Heather is a successful eclectic artist.... blah, blah, blah". But, instead, I think I'll just be real. After all, that is the best thing about working in my own studio. I can be myself, and... I write this in whatever style I want.
I grew up in Northwest Arkansas at the foot of the Ozark Mountains. Much of my early life was spent in the wilderness where I ran through creeks catching crayfish, explored the woods, and lazed in the yard watching the deer wander through. I feel like these were the most important years of my life. While not everything was easy while growing up, those quiet moments shaped me into someone who's default setting is one of observation, and I learned to find joy in that.
I love to sit and quietly observe people, colors, sounds, and textures, and I apply those skills of observation to my work. Every natural structure, dent, scar, and weathered mark is beautiful. In a world where manufactured perfection and crisp newness are all the expected standard, I feel like the beauty of imperfection is something important we are all missing out on or overlooking, and it takes us further and further from our humanity and from our connection to the world we live in.
Learning to be me
I was ambitious in my early years, like most others. I was in a rush for no good reason. Though, there was no one in the world that could have convinced me of that at the time. After what felt like a lifetime of endless people-pleasing and striving to be what I thought those around me wanted me to be, I burned out. I became bitter, and I had absolutely no idea who I was and what I wanted out of life, because somehow, I lost myself along the way, and I started to resent my creative drive.
While my hard work was making others smile, I was secretly miserable and suffering under the crushing weight of my own self-inflicted unrealistic personal expectations. I sometimes wonder if that is the universal experience of artists everywhere... a secret fear that our weirdness will be a disappointment to those around us.
After realizing that living to please others was an unsustainable mentality and way of life, I decided to make a change, and I realized that I could still be creative and make work that would not only put a smile on the faces of others, but on mine as well. I could make what I wanted to make and take pride again in my work. Thus, my passion project was born and I started working independently in my own studio.
Wabi-sabi
A world view centered on the acceptance of transience and imperfection. The aesthetic is sometimes described as one of appreciating beauty that is "imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete" in nature.
What the fish is Heatherfish?
Heatherfish is simply a culmination of everything I create. Though I have a professional history within the realm of digital arts and graphic design, my roots are based in visual arts. I'm a painter first, a carver second, and silversmithing falls within my bag of acquired skills somewhere. In my spare time, you will find me dabbling in bonsai, horticulture, and landscape architecture.
Still...
What is the significance of "fish" in Heatherfish? I think it goes right along with the saying "the grass is always greener". As a child of the mountains in an area with a lot of poverty, I had always dreamed of seeing the ocean. In my young mind, it seemed like something so big and unachievable. I was obsessed with fish and wanted to become a marine biologist. Sadly, those hopes were dashed when I realized that my severe motion sickness would never allow me to work long term on a boat. But, my obsession with the ocean remained and I have held that close to my heart ever since. Adding "fish" onto my first name has always been just a thing I do.
Roots
I feel like the color palate found within the ocean and among it's inhabitants is vast and endless. So, I take a lot of inspiration from it. Ironically, now that I live in Florida, I still love the ocean, though I find that my heart longingly calls back to the rolling green and wide open peace of the Ozarks from my childhood. So, while it was not my initial intention, I think you will see a reflection of both in my work.
When you buy from me, you are buying a small piece of my heart, and my hope is that some of the joy it brings me will inspire you as well.
Polution is gross and plastic sucks.
With that said, I have committed myself to eliminating plastic packaging. I will no longer be purchasing or shipping with plastic materials. It is important to try to preserve the beauty we are blessed with. As Earth ambassadors, it is our responsibility to make sure we are not a burden to the rest of the life we share this planet with. I encourage everyone to help eliminate single use plastics, plastic bags, straws, etc...