Hey Heather, how are you? How has your day been?
Aloha! I am doing great! I am currently at my studio in Telluride Colorado and doing some exhibitions on the mainland USA. Also enjoying some great snowboarding!
Have you had any good waves lately?
I left Hawai’i on February 1 to come to my Studio in Telluride Colorado where we are surfing on powder snow! Before I left, my husband Chris and I had a few great sessions at one of my favorite North Shore spots though!
Let’s talk about art. What inspires you to create?
I have been creating art since I was very young, so it is hard to think about what inspires me to create, as I have been inspired for such a long time. But I am so deeply inspired by the tremendous beauty of our natural environments. I also gain so much inspiration when I see how my art brings happiness and smiles to people around the world, it makes me want to just keep creating art!
What are the perfect conditions for your creativity? (Location, environment, time of day)
In my studio on the North Shore and here in Telluride, I always have a few things to make my environment just right. Our 3 dogs and 2 cats, Great music, lots of windows and natural light and the Aloha that surrounds the great areas we live in.
Who are your favourite artists in the surfing world?
I have always loved the art of Andy Davis, Thomas Campbell, Yusuke Hanai, Wade Koniakowski, and Tyler Warren in the “surf art” market
Being a surf artist sounds like a dream job. What are the challenges and what do you love about it?
I am living my dream job for sure! I don’t think of anything negative about it, it is a lot of work, most work weeks I put in 10-12 +hours a day in my studio, but I love it and usually only stop when my eyes start hurting! I love creating art and the tremendous release it gives me, I love being able to work from my home studio surrounded by people and animals that I love, I love the fact that so many of my fans/collectors write to me to tell me how happy my art makes them and I love transposing the natural beauty of the world into my visions of the idealistic surf/Island lifestyle.
What are your favourite mediums and is there anything you’d love to experiment with in future?
I paint primarily in acrylic paints. When I went to the University of Hawai’i, I received my Bachelors in FIne Arts concentrating on printmaking, so I still love to work with silkscreening on paper, linocuts, wood cuts, etc. I actually just had a show in January called “Paper and Cotton” where I only showed all new limited edition prints and I loved preparing for it and the show was a big hit! I always am looking for new mediums to play with!
Is surfing an art, sport or lifestyle?
To me surfing is life.
How can people buy your art and find out more about you?
You can check out my website: www.heatherbrownart.com
You can check out my blog: www.HeatherBrownSurfArtBlog.com