Lost portrait FOUND of Richard Dawkins!

A few months ago I painted this portrait of noted evolutionary biologist and writer Richard Dawkins. I shipped the portrait to England on May 15th, 2015, destined for Cambridge, UK CB3. It was shipped from Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It hasn't been seen since. 

UPDATE: August 2015 The painting made an incredible four month journey across the Atlantic and back to my doorstep the very next day after Richard tweeted its plight out on Twitter. Amazing! The wrapping was covered in various stickers marking its journey back and forth across the ocean and into customs. I am so thankful that it is back safe and sound and I will be able to deliver it in person to Richard this autumn. 

The portrait is oil on wood panel, 11"x14", and when I shipped it it was well packaged in two layers of cardboard and brown packing paper. 

This is the first time this has ever happened and it is vexing wondering what has become of the portrait. When I visited the post office I presumed tracking was included. This was my error as it was not and I did not realize until the painting did not arrive in the United Kingdom. Canada Post has informed me that since there was no tracking number the portrait is essentially a "missing item". 

Thank-you again very much for any and all help you can provide in locating this painting. Please feel free to share this message on any social media platforms. 

Sincerely,

Heather

"Emilie, Takhini North", and An Inaugural Snowshoeing

"We must let go of the life we have planned,

 so as to accept the one that is waiting for us."~Joseph Campbell

Even before darkening the doorway of The Yukon Territory I began making friends. Through past housesitting/hiking stints in the Territory, as well as via social media and friends in Ontario, I was excited to connect with people here. Emilie is one such friend. 

This painting resulted from a walk up in a subdivision of Whitehorse called Takhini North. It is amazing how our brains remember subtle topographies. In large urban areas we naturally remember buildings or man made structures to orientate ourselves within a space. Up here, there are a few buildings, yes, but natural structures vastly outweigh those built with human hands. Mountains have faces as well as people, and many folks have seen this painting and said "I know exactly where that is!"

Emilie had recently picked up this amazing blue coat at Unity Clothing here in Whitehorse. The intense, cobalt-blue hue was instantly appealing, especially in contrast with her amazing red hair. 

This was the first portrait I completed after moving to Whitehorse. It is 30"x40", a good size, oil on canvas. My gallery in Toronto, Abbozzo Gallery, has it now. It is on display currently if you wish to see it in person. Looking at images on a small scale is deceptive, especially when it comes to art. One needs to step closer to a painting to really see the "guts" of the thing, to see how an artist makes the work what it is. I paint very thinly, so I utilize directionality in brushwork to add structure and depth. Up close it is easier to see the subtleties. 

I have been in the Yukon Territory for four months now. Four months to let my bones settle into this place. The people are as warm as the temperatures are cold. There is community, and resiliency, and pride. I am proud to call The Yukon home. I can understand how city mice can be unhelmed by the quiet, by the space, by the solitude. It does force you to become better acquainted with the vagaries of your heart and mind. It does invite introspection...and it does so in spades. After living in a suburban environment up until now, with only periodic, bucolic adventures, it is a bit overwhelming at times. It is good. It is an opportunity to learn and find peace within the abundantly quiet moments. 

Recently I went snowshoeing here outside of town with some friends. I had never snowshoed before, and we did a 21km trek out near Fish Lake. It was great fun. Brisk, at -15ºC that day, but we kept moving and worked up a little sweat. Above, Greg takes off into the dawn. 

I took my trusty Arc'teryx Altra pack with me on this snowshoe. This pack has gone with me on treks in The Yukon, Iceland and The Faroe Islands. It's light, and a good size for an overnight hike or a long day hike. Here's a link: Arc'teryx Altra 48 L

The trek was a gradual uphill for the first 5km, then a slow but continuous descent for the majority of it. It made for some nice views. We passed a few cross country skiers and their dogs. People up here love to be out in the elements. And who wouldn't? 

The sun came out in the last half hour of the snowshoe. There is so little pollution up here that light is not hindered by anything. It is intense, and vibrant, and there are colours that practically glow in even the quietest shadows. The blues are so luminous it defies belief. I am fortunate to be here, to have no departure date, to dwell amongst the mountains, finally :) 

Have a beautiful day,

Heather

“I learned this, at least, by my experiment; that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours. . ."~Henry David Thoreau

"Mayberry Street, Hidden", "After The Storm" and Abbozzo's Big Move

"Mayberry Street, Hidden",oil on panel, 48"x36",available at Abbozzo Gallery, Toronto

“A cold wind was blowing from the north, and it made the trees rustle like living things.”

 ~George R.R. Martin

"How do you paint the cold?" It's the artistic equivalent of "Where do babies come from?" People have asked me over the years how I paint folds or paint emotion within a face...I wish I had a more esoteric answer but I do not. I do not know when feelings or temperatures are transferred onto a canvas. There is no one 'moment'. I think it is the cumulative effort applied to the work as a whole. As painters, we get so close to the subject from a technical point of view that we aren't even aware when the "effect" of the whole painting emerges. It happens without our knowledge, like the technicians and people who light a play, or cue the orchestra, or direct the performers.

"Mayberry Street, Hidden", oil on panel, 48"x36", came about following a huge snowstorm in Omaha, Nebraska this past winter. Two paintings emerged from that storm..."Mayberry Street" and also "After The Storm", oil on canvas, 10"x30". Both paintings are currently a part of a brand new exhibition at Abbozzo Gallery's new space in downtown Toronto at 401 Richmond. If you can, please stop in as it is a gorgeous space. I have attached some photos of the gallery below.

"After The Storm", oil on canvas, 10"x30", available at Abbozzo Gallery

Most of us have experienced the incredible quiet after a snow storm. In these two paintings the snow is sticking to trees and a wooden fence...it buffers the world around and sound is muted. We can hear our heart beat and we marvel at the transformation that has taken place from when we last looked outside. Snow is one of my favourite things to paint. I like mixing the warm and cool greys that show form. It is all about contrast. Snow hides and reveals at the same time. It colludes with our psyche to reveal truths, and that's where the paint comes in, to record that moment. 

I think painting snow, mixing whites with all other colours to produce that coldest of illusions, is a way of allowing the painting to have a lot of negative space, but a space that is actually filled with substance.  I like to find a point of tension, usually a figure, and let the space around it provide breathing room to bring you back to that focal point, the place within ourselves where we all return. 

Here are some photos that I took of Abbozzo Gallery's amazing new space in Toronto. You can see my painting "Figure, Perched", oil on canvas, 60"x40" in two of these photos. I will be blogging about them soon. I am so very fortunate to be with such a great gallery. This space and Ineke, Margaret and the rest at Abbozzo are what every artist should have...a dealer who believes in you, in your vision. I am very thankful for our relationship.

Such a beautiful space!

"Figure, Perched" hangs on the wall behind the main desk. 

You can see "Mayberry Street, Hidden" and "The Stone House" here in this shot.

A view down the hallway that runs alongside the gallery..

Thanks for reading today and please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about these paintings or any that you see on my website or this blog.

Have a wonderful day!

Heather

Occasionally I have come across a last patch of snow on top of a mountain in late May or June.

 There's something very powerful about finding snow in summer.~Andy Goldsworthy

"The Stone House" And The Art Of Giving

“Before I can say I am, I was. Heraclitus and I, prophets of flux,

 know that the flux is composed of parts that imitate and repeat each other.

 Am or was, I am cumulative, too. I am everything I ever was.."~Wallace Stegner

Every artist has a place where their mind can rest and their art can roam free. "The Stone House", oil on canvas, 10"x30" is my place. It lies north of my hometown and is home to one of my closest friends and frequent painting subject, Gayle. The house is over 150 years old, and is nestled into the side of a hill, much as Gayle's history is nestled into this area. She grew up not far from The Stone House. It has been in her life always, and now she lives there. In this day and age that is rare, to have such a longstanding, immediate connection with your historical, geographical topography. It is stitched into her bones. She has a beautiful garden that is her pride and joy. Her family collects sap from nearby maple trees that they carefully craft into maple syrup. It is such a special place. I am fortunate that Gayle has let me into her world when I needed to start a new painting project. When I look back one day on the paintings I have created, I will be happy to group years' of work into one chapter devoted to Gayle and the Stone House.

Andrew Wyeth is a big hero of mine, and this painting echos of his works a bit I think. It is important to be inspired by people, by artists, but our own technique and creative fingerprints will always keep it uniquely ours. It is a nod to those who move us, and then we turn and do our own thing.

I have never painted the back of Gayle's house before. It is a bit of an illusion from this viewpoint, as there is so much more of the structure visible from the front, from the road. I have had this composition in mind for over a year. Snow is more fun to paint than foliage, so it was the right time to do this piece.

What you think, you become. Where you are becomes who you are. Gayle embodies these statements perfectly.

I love giving. And I love giving art to good causes! I recently returned from Gig Harbor, Washington, a beautiful little town near Seattle. I was out there to visit Bainbridge Island where an animal refuge is located. My friend Aaron Dunlap is bicycling from Las Vegas to Kansas, and then competing in a race in Euphoria. Aaron had the idea to do a fundraiser to raise money to help West Sound Wildlife. Click on their name and you can also donate to help injured wildlife. West Sound rehabilitates injured animals and returns them to their natural homes. All proceeds go directly to West Sound Wildlife. I had a great time there as they showed us around the facility. 

Aaron asked if I would donate a painting to the refuge. This is the piece I created. A little Saw Whet Owl portrait, 12"x12", oil on panel. All donations will be entered into a raffle to win this little portrait. It could be you! 

West Sound currently has this little Saw Whet Owl. She will stay there permanently to become an educational owl for children and visitors. Her wing was broken when she was hit by a car. I was struck by hear beauty, innocence and utter helplessness when I saw her at the refuge. Reducing animal suffering in any form, large or small, is extremely important to me. They cannot stand up for themselves in many cases. We can stand up for them.

Have a wonderful day today, wherever you are. "The Stone House" is available through Abbozzo Gallery. 

"The crow wished everything was black, the owl, that everything was white."~William Blake

"Surfacing": The Swimming Paintings

"I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after,

 and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me,

 like wine through water, and altered the color of my mind."~Emily Bronte

For a long time now I have been painting draped figures, the drapes pooling around the figure in white and adjacent shadows showing the form that lies underneath. I have found a new love, or rather, another love: painting water.

Whether still or active, transparent or opaque, water is what we are (mostly) made of, and it cleanses, heals, renews and invigorates us. I feel more at home in water than on land frankly. It is where I can fly briefly, before needing to breathe. It whispers around us and keeps us buoyant but it can also take us too. Simply speaking, it is where we can lose ourselves. Such a powerful symbol and such a fascinating thing is the perfect subject to paint, especially with the figure incorporated into it.

Included in this post are my three swimming paintings: "Hannah, Surfacing", "Hannah, Flying" and "Hannah, Through". All oil. All on wood panel.

"Hannah, Through", oil on panel, 5"x7", available at Abbozzo Gallery

Hannah is one of my muses and a cherished friend. It is easy to paint people you care for, especially those who are old souls. Hannah is such a person. I look forward to completing many more paintings with her as the subject.

When I was visiting Hannah in Buffalo in the summer, we had the chance to spend time at her childhood home. I saw the pool in the backyard, had my camera with me, and asked if Hannah would mind swimming while I shot some reference for paintings. Well in 10 minutes I had enough reference for at least three paintings! Just like that. Happiness. Knowing you have viable reference is a huge boost in one's confidence toward the  completion of a painting.

"Hannah, Surfacing", oil on panel, 48"x72", private collection, Delaware, USA

These paintings were a part of my exhibition "Surfacing" which just ended four days ago. The show was a huge success! I am very thankful to collectors, friends and my gallery, Abbozzo Gallery, who have supported me through the past few years. These paintings took over 150 hours to paint between the three of them. Time well spent I believe.

I think I have found something special with these paintings. A lot of artists paint water, but everyone's journey is what matters, and I think I have found a whole new story to tell here. The blues, the translucence, the transparency, the distortion, the illusion. There is so much about this subject that intrigues me. When you see these paintings from a distance back they do coalesce but up close, as usual, they fragment into delineated planes of pigment. It is like standing in a field. You see the rows of corn separately but above, in a plane, they are waves themselves that meld together, they blend into the field beyond. Art is about illusion, but not malicious or deceptive of course. It is about transporting you away from your present state and into another place and time.

"Hannah, Flying", oil on panel, 18"x24", private collection, Mississauga, Ontario

Water is special because almost all of us have swam in it, dove into it, floated in it, bathed in it, lamented it, welcomed it, imbibed it, and we all remember its effects on us. I love painting what appears to be there and not there. I do love that the figure is folded in another type of fabric, organic and flowing, which shows form and hides form too.

These paintings are another beginning. The first chapter in a long book. Thanks for reading and here is a beautiful poem by my favourite poet, Mary Oliver. Keep creating and keep believing in yourself.

Heather


In Blackwater Woods by Mary Oliver

Look, the trees
are turning
their own bodies
into pillars

of light,
are giving off the rich
fragrance of cinnamon
and fulfillment,

the long tapers
of cattails
are bursting and floating away over
the blue shoulders

of the ponds,
and every pond,
no matter what its
name is, is

nameless now.
Every year
everything
I have ever learned

in my lifetime
leads back to this: the fires
and the black river of loss
whose other side

is salvation,
whose meaning
none of us will ever know.
To live in this world

you must be able
to do three things:
to love what is mortal;
to hold it

against your bones knowing
your own life depends on it;
and, when the time comes to let it go,
to let it go.

"Portrait Of An Artist As A Young Girl"

“The object of the artist is the creation of the beautiful. What the beautiful is is another question.” ~James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man


Sometimes I have an idea for a painting that is particularly personal. The kind of painting that doesn't matter to me if it sells or not. The need to paint this or that object or scene is so strong that it overrides any thought of what people might think of it. Every painting I do is because I want to do it, but it is paintings like "Portrait Of An Artist As A Young Girl", oil on panel, that hold a special place in my heart because of its biographical roots. 

This painting is a segment of my childhood bedroom. I have vague memories of my mother periodically standing me up straight against the door frame of my closet. She would have a pen or pencil and measure my height. It was done about once a year, this little ritual of ours. I know that the memory of each tick is housed in the back of my mind somewhere. Although I cannot remember each measuring, each moment of realizing how tall I was getting, of turning to look and compare my height to my mother's, I do know that somewhere in my mind that memory exists. I also know that the memory could be brought back to me with the direct pressure of a surgeon's touch, flooding back like water through an opened lock. 

Today happens to be my mother's birthday, and I thought it was fitting to write about this special painting. She has always been my touchstone, my best friend. My parents are both incredible people, and this is why some of my most personal paintings involve them. Someone once said to write about what you know. I say paint about what you know as well. Having a well to draw from will always yield powerful results and an opportunity to know yourself and those around you even better than before. 

I have decided that one day, when my parents move that I will remove this door frame. I'm not sure what I will do with it, perhaps frame it. A frame within a frame. 

I visualize most paintings in my mind as a completed piece even before I begin gathering reference. In other words, before I even took the photographs that would help me complete this piece, I could see it in my head: the vertical door frame creating a nice tension with the horizontal panel, etc. When I took the reference photographs I was able to revisit my childhood and see where I was at 6 years old, 7 years old, until the day when I was taller than my mother. I recall wondering what that meant, what were the implications of me being taller than her? Would my world tilt or alter in some way? I had always looked up to her, and even though I now look down to her when we speak, she will forever be someone I look up to. Happy Birthday Ma. I love you. 

“He was alone. He was unheeded, happy, and near to the wild heart of life. He was alone and young and wilful and wildhearted, alone amid a waste of wild air and brackish waters and the seaharvest of shells and tangle and veiled grey sunlight.”― James Joyce, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man

This painting and many others will be a part of my upcoming solo exhibition in Oakville, Ontario. Here are the details. I hope to see you there!

SURFACING: 

New paintings by Heather Horton

November 2-17, 2012, Abbozzo Gallery, Oakville, Ontario

Opening Reception Saturday, November 3, 2-4pm

Artist informal meet and greet Sunday, November 11th, 2-4pm

Abbozzo Gallery website

Heather Horton website