Heather Gordon has exhibited her work nationwide since 1997. Her work is in over 100 private collections across the country and abroad, including Europe, England, Russia and Japan. Her first public collection is at Macy's Corporation Headquarters in San Francisco, California. In 2009 Heather was included in her first museum exhibition at the Triton Museum of Art in Santa Clara, California. Heather received a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Lawerence University, Canton, New York. She is inspired by her environment in Northern California where she lives and maintains her studio.

ABOUT THE PAINTINGS

Painting is my medium for expressing spirituality, creativity, and life experiences. I work in a spontaneous style, being in the present moment and open to what the paint does naturally. This practice makes my mind feel calm, tranquil, and luminous, just like a meditation.

The concept of “shibui,” a Japanese word for the aesthetic of subtle, simple beauty, resonates with my approach to art. There is a complexity and history that occurs with each moment and layer of paint that I apply.

In my creative process I try to work from a place of no-mind, as in Buddhist meditation.  I often think of this approach as a child-like playfulness with an adult’s awareness.  In my Rasa series I was working with the idea of a tabula rasa, that is, when the mind is a blank slate before we have received information from the external world.  My Tansu Rasa and Jaina Rasa paintings are influenced by ancient Japanese art, religion and philosophy originating in India. In the Jaina religion, human life is valued as a unique opportunity to reach enlightenment.  For me, painting has been my journey and discovery of my true nature.

My Kiku Ikat series was inspired by my travels in Indonesia, Africa, and Japan.  The Ikat textiles of Indonesia are colorful and boldly patterned fabrics.  The creation of my symbols is influenced by the calligraphy and language I encountered while traveling in foreign lands.

The Vintage Lace series was inspired by the frescoes and crumbling walls of southern Italy and France. In these paintings I am trying to capture the understated elegance and patina that only time can bring.  This process fulfills my need to start from the beginning, over and over again.

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