Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Michelle Chinn.
Heather Michelle, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I come from a family of artists & engineers. My grandfather was an engineer that was on the team to develop the first camera that went into space and my mother was a world class portrait artist for decades. Growing up in that environment I thought having artist grade materials to doodle with was normal. I was always drawing and painting on walls, with food, in notebooks, illustrating lectures in school. It was natural. After high school I attempted art school at the Maryland Institute College of Art and quickly left after taking a realistic look at financials. I couldn’t justify being 6 figures in debt over a degree in painting. So, I worked under local photographers and learned digital art techniques. Eventually my painting translated into a digital field for a few decades as a ghost painter for photography studios, which suited my introvert personality.
Over the last 5 years I’ve come back to my oil roots by now offering oiled portraits on canvas as a wholesale painter to studios all over the country, again, behind the scenes, as the ghost behind the easel. The journey has included painting large scale backgrounds and murals, watercolors for an international stationary company, and designing training material for digital artistry. My time is split between being a mom to my now two-year-old, mentoring creatives, and painting for photographers as a ghost artist. I couldn’t be happier. In the digital art world, people know me as “Heather the Painter.” I’m a PPA certified Master Artist, Photographic Craftsman, and Master Photographer. I’m also an Elite Corel Painter Master, Corel Certified Painter Instructor and a Golden Certified Artist Educator.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
You could say my “art” is split into three: the art of teaching; oils on canvas, and digital art. My heart is happiest when educating and developing new materials for budding creatives in genres of digital painting and organic painting. I find the challenge to see how to best, or most efficiently deliver a technique, and science behind the WHY in its approach plus how to express one’s style intriguing. When the light bulb goes off with a student, my heart is full! To teach a person to “fish” is extremely satisfying, or in this case, to paint. My workshops are either online in private groups, one on one, or in person in a comfortable, often picturesque setting (we were once in a vintage bank vault in Monterey, or in an old Coke Museum in Louisiana in Spring at peak bloom season).
My digital art and hybrid art (painting in oils again over the printed canvas of my digital study using a Wacom tablet and Corel Painter), when it’s for myself often evokes an ethereal atmosphere. I try to convey the spirit of the person, show a hint of their personality without showing smiles or teeth. I love the intensity of eyes, or lack of a direct gaze. Showing an heirloom or personal attachment somewhere in the painting is important as the subject will look at it 30 years down the road and think, “I remember that necklace – Great Grandma handed that down to me!” I take the time to heavily prepare the canvases with proper surface treatment, and professional/museum grade materials so they’ll be around for (hopefully) decades to come! My goal is to either take their breath for a moment in this overly busy world or make them cry. So far, it’s been successful!
Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I believe Social Media has been equally beneficial and harmful for artists. Harmful in that other countries, not bound by US copyright, are stealing artists’ posts and making posters (for profit), or other prints without benefitting the artist and with no recourse. On the flip side, having the social media platforms so readily populated and available gives artists the opportunity to be discovered ever so easily without leaving their studio (which is perfect for us introverts!) – even to make sales! At the same time, I think the question of the integrity of the artwork has come into question in recent years because of social media. With plagiarism because artwork is easily shared and posted, it’s becoming more and more important to educate your audience about your own works, and maybe share your process and works in progress.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
At the moment, my personal works are in my own studio. My ghost work is in my photographer clients’ studios but my training materials are online at www.heatherthepainter.com. I’m on Facebook @heathermichellethepainter and Youtube.com/heatherthepainter
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heatherthepainter.com
- Email: heather@heatherthepainter.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherthepainter/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathermichellethepainter
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherPainter
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/heatherthepainter
Image Credit:
Baby in white on the chair with the red background and the Pink Headshot: The photographic references were photographed and provided with permission by “Linda Packard, CPP, www.LindaPackardPhotography.com ” Otherwise, all model releases are signed for any subjects in my paintings.
Getting in touch: VoyageChicago is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
