About
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.
I am an eclectic artist and was a graphic designer for over 10 years. While I love to work in the digital realm, I love the outdoors even more. I grew up in at the foot of the Ozark Mountain National Forrest in Dover, Arkansas and have loved nature for as long as I can remember. My appreciation for the world outside can be seen in a lot of my work. My grampa once said that his favorite past time was "watching the grass grow".
For much of my life, I tried to understand what he meant by that. I would watch him "watch the grass grow" per se. He would sit on the deck he built with a single beer, every day after work, and just be. When I was little, I thought it was so boring. But, much later I realized that he wasn't boring at all. He was incredibly attuned with his state of existence. When one stops to look at the world... actually LOOK at it, it becomes easy to see all the beautiful subtleties we take for granted everyday.
After he passed, I went and I sat on that deck. I started to notice the beautiful color variations of all the trees, and the noises they made when the wind blew. I heard the birds. I noticed the texture of the wood, and the beautiful patterns of lichen growing on the rails. And I thought to myself, "We are just like this. We are a beautiful collection of subtleties and imperfections. All you have to do is really pay attention.". I think I build things the way I do because that is how he taught me to build them... my friendships, my relationships, my work... He was that one constant in my life that I didn't know I had.
My mom is another great inspiration. Always encouraging, a nurturer, and an up-lifter. Pillar of strength, full of creativity, and inspiring. My love of art is from my mother. Thank you Mom, for helping me build giant statues out of trash for my art projects, and for letting me use my puppy’s baby teeth for my clay rhino’s horns without passing judgment.
In a world that sometimes seems distracting and noisy in the pursuit of improvement and perfection, I think it is important to also stop and realize that imperfection is also beautiful. Existence is beautiful. Nature creates a lot of imperfect beautiful things, and I will forever try to capture that magic in everything I create. - Heather
For much of my life, I tried to understand what he meant by that. I would watch him "watch the grass grow" per se. He would sit on the deck he built with a single beer, every day after work, and just be. When I was little, I thought it was so boring. But, much later I realized that he wasn't boring at all. He was incredibly attuned with his state of existence. When one stops to look at the world... actually LOOK at it, it becomes easy to see all the beautiful subtleties we take for granted everyday.
After he passed, I went and I sat on that deck. I started to notice the beautiful color variations of all the trees, and the noises they made when the wind blew. I heard the birds. I noticed the texture of the wood, and the beautiful patterns of lichen growing on the rails. And I thought to myself, "We are just like this. We are a beautiful collection of subtleties and imperfections. All you have to do is really pay attention.". I think I build things the way I do because that is how he taught me to build them... my friendships, my relationships, my work... He was that one constant in my life that I didn't know I had.
My mom is another great inspiration. Always encouraging, a nurturer, and an up-lifter. Pillar of strength, full of creativity, and inspiring. My love of art is from my mother. Thank you Mom, for helping me build giant statues out of trash for my art projects, and for letting me use my puppy’s baby teeth for my clay rhino’s horns without passing judgment.
In a world that sometimes seems distracting and noisy in the pursuit of improvement and perfection, I think it is important to also stop and realize that imperfection is also beautiful. Existence is beautiful. Nature creates a lot of imperfect beautiful things, and I will forever try to capture that magic in everything I create. - Heather
Heatherfish began many years ago as a passion project... a way to give a name to my creativity. Over the years it has transformed into what it is today, and I'm proud to attach this name to everything I create. I chose "fish" as an add-on to my first name because I liked the way it sounded, and making a play on the phrase "swimming through life" was a perfect fit. In addition, I have always had an obsessive fascination with the ocean. Nature is an amazing force, and I truly believe that our oceans contain the most expansive array of colors in the world.
With that in mind, I have committed myself to eliminating plastic packaging. After my back stock of supplies expire, 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...