Work samples

  • On Point
    On Point

    24 x18" acrylic, pen, pencil and pastel on panel

    From my Perspective Series

    Perspective, a grounding point, a place of identity that both spews and clarifies.  It is a common experience that behaves like a kaleidoscope from our vantage point.  It is full of nuance and color, and can turn fearfully black and white.  We strive to understand the complexity and reach common ground.  We should delight in the way our experience, identity, and our roots color our view,  We turn from our spot in each direction, and as we overlap there is a collective experience. To appreciate the not only that commonality but the intricate differences and individual truths.  At once matching and reflecting, contrasting and deflecting and all the while highlights being human. 

    Available for Purchase
  • Adrift
    Adrift

    36 x 36" acrylic, pen, pastel, pencil and collage on canvas

    Perspective, a grounding point, a place of identity that both spews and clarifies.  It is a common experience that behaves like a kaleidoscope from our vantage point.  It is full of nuance and color, and can turn fearfully black and white.  We strive to understand the complexity and reach common ground.  We should delight in the way our experience, identity, and our roots color our view,  We turn from our spot in each direction, and as we overlap there is a collective experience. To appreciate the not only that commonality but the intricate differences and individual truths.  At once matching and reflecting, contrasting and deflecting and all the while highlights being human. 

    Available for Purchase
  • Expand
    Expand

    40 x 30" acyrlic, pen, pastel and pencil on panel

    Perspective, a grounding point, a place of identity that both spews and clarifies.  It is a common experience that behaves like a kaleidoscope from our vantage point.  It is full of nuance and color, and can turn fearfully black and white.  We strive to understand the complexity and reach common ground.  We should delight in the way our experience, identity, and our roots color our view,  We turn from our spot in each direction, and as we overlap there is a collective experience. To appreciate the not only that commonality but the intricate differences and individual truths.  At once matching and reflecting, contrasting and deflecting and all the while highlights being human. 

    Available for Purchase
  • Shifting The Narrative
    Shifting The Narrative

    48 x 48" acrylic, pen, pencil, and pastel on panel

    Perspective, a grounding point, a place of identity that both spews and clarifies.  It is a common experience that behaves like a kaleidoscope from our vantage point.  It is full of nuance and color, and can turn fearfully black and white.  We strive to understand the complexity and reach common ground.  We should delight in the way our experience, identity, and our roots color our view,  We turn from our spot in each direction, and as we overlap there is a collective experience. To appreciate the not only that commonality but the intricate differences and individual truths.  At once matching and reflecting, contrasting and deflecting and all the while highlights being human. 

    Available for Purchase

About Heather

Heather Kirtland is an artist, author, speaker, and creative instigator. She received her BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Heather currently teaches encaustic workshops and is focused on her studio practice. She enjoys working with private clients as well as designers to create the perfect piece for a space. She loves to work with other creatives to inspire them in their artistic journeys. When she is not painting she loves to read, run and encourage other mothers… more

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Perspective

Perspective, a grounding point, a place of identity that both spews and clarifies.  It is a common experience that behaves like a kaleidoscope from our vantage point.  It is full of nuance and color, and can turn fearfully black and white.  We strive to understand the complexity and reach common ground.  We should delight in the way our experience, identity, and our roots color our view,  We turn from our spot in each direction, and as we overlap there is a collective experience. To appreciate the not only that commonality but the intricate differences and individual truths.  At once matching and reflecting, contrasting and deflecting and all the while highlights being human. 

  • Pop
    Pop

    20 x 16" acrylic, pen, pencil and pastel on panel

  • Rise
    Rise

    20 x 16" acrylic, pen, pencil and pastel on panel

    Available for Purchase
  • Shift
    Shift

    20 x 16" acrylic, pen, pencil and pastel on panel

    Available for Purchase
  • Expand
    Expand

    40 x 30" acrylic, pen, pencil and pastel on panel

    Available for Purchase
  • Fixed
    Fixed

    40 x 30 acrylic, pen, pencil and pastel on panel

    Available for Purchase
  • On Point
    On Point

    24 x 18" acrylic, pen, pastel, and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Granted
    Granted

    112 x 9" acrylic, pen, pastel, and pencil on canvas

  • Stand
    Stand

    12 x 9" acrylic, pen, pastel, and pencil on canvas

  • Adrift
    Adrift

    36 x 36" acrylic, pen, pastel, pencil, and collage on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Shifting The Narrative
    Shifting The Narrative

    48 x 48" acrylic, pen, pastel, pencil, and collage on canvas

    Available for Purchase

Space

This series of work is a response to pandemic fatigue and finding myself longing for space. I use a visual language of cloches, propellers, and sails to express the contradicting emotions of feeling both safe and trapped. I felt the need to take up space and hold space for others. I wanted to escape/travel and experience new surroundings and also enjoy this new expanse of time with those that I love. I longed for solitude and with that felt guilt. I didn’t want to feel contained, I wanted to be heard. I express all of this with the objects pushing against the composition, and bold colors outside my comfort zone. I let under-painting show through with the use of washes of color, marks with oil pastel and charcoal that express movement and immediacy. Encaustics were a natural choice using varying surface texture and the innate translucency the wax allows, I could express the complications of what I was feeling through the medium itself.

  • Holding Pattern
    Holding Pattern

    48 x 36" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Altenate
    Altenate

    40 x 30" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Boundaries
    Boundaries

    40 x 30" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Set Off
    Set Off

    40 x 30" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Runaway
    Runaway

    30 x 20" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Stranded
    Stranded

    48 x 36" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Propagate
    Propagate

    24 x 30" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Sail
    Sail

    48 x 36" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Release
    Release

    30 x 40" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Two Peas, Different Pods
    Two Peas, Different Pods

    48 x 48" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

Home

In my work I utilize the house form to represent a persona.  This series of paintings explore the deconstruction of my usual house form.  Through gestural mark making, dynamic composition, and a vibrant palette I intend to connect the viewer to the situations I am creating.  I want to play with tension, ease, movement, and layered emotion.  While the house can represent safety, solidarity and security this past year has complicated all of these identities.  This work addresses the complex and dynamic feelings wrapped around the sense of home.

 

  • Infinite
    Infinite

    40  x 26" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Focus
    Focus

    24 x 18" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Full Up
    Full Up

    24 x 18" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Circus
    Circus

    24 x 18" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Flourish
    Flourish

    24 x 18" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Where do We Begin?
    Where do We Begin?

    40 x 26" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Venturing
    Venturing

    40 x 26" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Rooted
    Rooted

    40 x 26" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

    Available for Purchase
  • Beneath
    Beneath

    40 x 26" acrylic, pen, pastel and pencil on canvas

  • Jumble
    Jumble

    24 x 18" acyrlic, pen, pastel and pencil on paper