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About Heather 

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Heather June

Heather was born and raised in suburban Connecticut towns, and has fostered a love of art since early childhood. Her social and outgoing nature and genuine interest in people have driven her to the field of portraiture. Her most recent focus is portraiture of both human and animal subjects.

Heather obtained a BA in both Illustration and Photography from Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, Connecticut. She completed her MFA at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. Heather’s work has been included in many group shows at local exhibits such as The Connecticut Women Artists National open Juried Show at the Slater Memorial Museum, and Small Treasures at Hartford Fine Art and Framing.

Heather's primary passion continues to be working with people, which makes commissions her favorite type of art to make. Feel free to shoot her a message for inquiries!

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Education
 

2017  Academy of Art University: San Francisco, CA

           Master of Fine Arts, Painting

2013  Western Connecticut State University: Danbury, CT

           Bachelor of Arts, Illustration

           Bachelor of Arts, Photography

Exhibitions
 
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Artist Statement

 

My art is my way of life. It is how I breathe, it describes me better than words ever could, and it is a direct reflection of who I am. It is inspired by the very essence of my life, because it is from this essence that I pull from when making art. And as I am a very emotive and passionate person, my art is as well. When I am at a low, my art weeps with me, and when I am content with life, my art is exuberant and full of vigor. I also find that my subject matter of choice – people – allows me to devote more emotion to the work and get more emotion out of it in return.

I love the entire process of art-making. I start with a concept, and I’ll draw it out in rough sketches. Then once I form a concrete idea in my mind, I’ll use my other love – photography – to set up the scenario and photograph my subject(s). I then work from my photographs to make the final piece. I even love the process of cleaning up after I’ve finished an intense art session!

I have been drawing since I can remember, and although I have dabbled in a wide variety of media, it is with soft pastels and charcoal that I feel most confident and comfortable. I love the matte intensity that charcoal provides, and the intensity and range of colors that I achieve through pastels. I am very tactile when I work, so I often find myself “sculpting” in these mediums by applying pigment to my fingers to then apply them to the substrate. Throughout my academic studies I have developed an extensive control over these mediums, so I can still evoke subtleties, detail and nuance, despite their sometimes “messy” reputation. My most recent artistic development is my use of soft pastels to render a variety of textures in realistic portraits of both human and animal subjects.

Solo

2018  Litchfield First Congregational Church - Litchfield, CT

2017  Ella’s Limited Fine Art and Framing Gallery - Bantam, CT

2012  Burlington Public Library - Burlington, CT


Group

2019  Connecticut Women Artists National Open Juried Exhibition - Norwich, CT

2018  Small Treasures - East Hartford, CT

2018  Hartford Open Studios - Hartford, CT

2015  LaSalle Market - Collinsville, CT

2014  LaSalle Market - Collinsville, CT

2013  Danbury Art & Frame - Danbury, CT

2013  Undergraduate Photography Senior Thesis Exhibition - Danbury, CT

2012  LaSalle Market - Collinsville, CT

2012  Undergraduate Illustration Senior Thesis Exhibition - Danbury, CT

2010  Molten Java - Bethel, CT

Awards and Memberships
 

2020  Connecticut Pastel Society - Member

2019  PRAXIS Art: Content and Analysis (5135) Score - 182

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