Artist Feature:
Heather Peterson
Soul Searching
Acrylic on canvas
Statement:
Life is a never-ending roller coaster of emotions and a constant search for reason within our experiences. I paint as a way to release these emotions and walk myself through these experiences to a better understanding. It’s my own private conversation of colors, shapes, and brushstrokes. The closer I listen, the more I become lost in the dialogue and the compilation of memories. The final statement, a beautiful composition of a moment in time. It’s my hope to share these compositions to help others heal and start deeper conversations about topics that need to be discussed. When I approach a canvas, I usually have a general idea in mind (subject and colors), but I find it best not to force the conversation and just see where it leads. My paintings are always large scale. I feel that is the only way I can truly capture the intense emotions of a moment. I paint with broad strokes and lots of color, because of the incredible symbolism and mood that the two together can create. Quite often, I use faces as my subject. It’s amazing to me how many stories and emotions can be portrayed through a single face. However, no matter what my creation, it is most important to me to find true joy in myself and share that with the world. “Soul Searching” was painted for the theme “Did You?”, because it represents the nagging questions we constantly ask ourselves: “Did you reach your goals?”, “Did you try your best?”, “Did you love with your entire heart?” Though we search our souls for these answers, are we really searching to make ourselves proud or is it for the benefit of those around us? For the image of ourselves that we are trying so desperately to create?
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