HEATHER KIRTLAND

ARTIST BIO

Heather Kirtland is an artist, author, speaker, and creative instigator. She received her BFA in painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art, and was a Maryland State Art Council Grant recipient that same year. Her work has been exhibited throughout the US and in both Italy and Wales. She has served as a grant panelist for The D.C. Commission on The Arts and Humanities. In addition to her painting practice , Heather teaches encaustic, is a community founder at Carve Out Time for Art and published author of “The Motherhood of Art” selected as a 2021 Best New Book on Motherhood by Book Authority. Heather lives just outside of Baltimore with her husband, two children, and their dog.


ARTIST STATEMENT

My work is a reflection of our state of being. It responds to our need to be seen. Through abstract compositions, I create visual representations of our universal human emotions. I use brushstrokes, drawn lines, layers of paint, and recognizable forms to represent us. I show how outside forces surround our inner selves, and through paint convey these emotions. I use encaustic, oil, and acrylic paints to build layers. I incorporate marks with oil pastels, spray paint, and markers that can relay immediacy and intensity. My paintings give room and a place to express what cannot be formulated into words. In my experience, it is a struggle to take up space and to be valued when I show up as myself. I create a connection to this collective experience that is both unique to you and universal to us.