Heather is a professional painter living and working in her home studio in Prince Edward Island, Canada. Almost entirely self taught in painting, she began first in watercolour, exploring organic subjects such as florals and natural elements but moved on briefly to the rich, vibrant colours that acrylic paint offered. Once receiving a gift of fine artist oils, she fell in love with the deep, velvety lustre of oil paint and has not turned back. She attended the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary from 1994-1998, majoring in Glassblowing and taking only one watercolour painting course as an elective. Moving from Calgary back to her hometown of Edmonton and then on to the Maritimes in 2007, she has been honing her skill since, gaining exposure in galleries in PEI, Toronto and Whistler. Her work is in the PEI Art Bank, and in many private collections worldwide.
Published January 27th, 2020, Interview responses collected in the months prior
What projects are you working on right now?
I've actually got several things on the go. I recently finished two commissions for Sarah Rafferty (Donna on SUITS!). I have work on the show and as it's wrapping up it's final season, she has contacted me about doing some work for herself and her colleague, Gabriel Macht. So, that was unexpected. I have also just finished work for a small group show here in PEI and and am creating work for a new gallery in Saint John, New Brunswick that I've been asked to join.
How do you keep yourself accountable in your practice?
I am fortunate to have a partner who is also an artist, so I get frequent critiques, whether I want them or not (which is both a blessing and a curse). That being said, we live in a small province and while there are many artists on the island, we are quite isolated, many living rurally (myself included) so I try to look at each painting objectively as if I were a potential collector and think "is this the type of work I can go back to over and over again and still find something interesting to pick out?"
How do you stay motivated to pursue your creative work?
I don't find it hard to stay motivated. I listen to my creative gut and just go with the flow. If I need a few days to recharge my batteries, I'll take a break and let that artistic compassion build up again. I always find interesting objects, whether they are vintage toys, candy, old family photos or the wildlife around me, that constantly motivates me to create. I work from photo reference so if at all possible, I like to shoot my own subject matter. That alone starts the motivation to want to see the subject as a stand-alone image on a large canvas.
Where do you hope to be 10 years from now and what would you like to say to yourself?
It sounds strange but I honestly hope to be doing exactly what I'm doing right now. I count myself so fortunate that I can make a living off my work, I'm represented in several commercial galleries and I'm able to set my own pace and create whatever strikes my fancy. Really, this is my dream and after many, many years working "real" daytime jobs and creating work in my spare time, I'm so happy to have reached a point in my career where I am able to do it as a job. Not many people can say they love what they do.
What projects are you working on right now?
I've actually got several things on the go. I recently finished two commissions for Sarah Rafferty (Donna on SUITS!). I have work on the show and as it's wrapping up it's final season, she has contacted me about doing some work for herself and her colleague, Gabriel Macht. So, that was unexpected. I have also just finished work for a small group show here in PEI and and am creating work for a new gallery in Saint John, New Brunswick that I've been asked to join.
How do you keep yourself accountable in your practice?
I am fortunate to have a partner who is also an artist, so I get frequent critiques, whether I want them or not (which is both a blessing and a curse). That being said, we live in a small province and while there are many artists on the island, we are quite isolated, many living rurally (myself included) so I try to look at each painting objectively as if I were a potential collector and think "is this the type of work I can go back to over and over again and still find something interesting to pick out?"
How do you stay motivated to pursue your creative work?
I don't find it hard to stay motivated. I listen to my creative gut and just go with the flow. If I need a few days to recharge my batteries, I'll take a break and let that artistic compassion build up again. I always find interesting objects, whether they are vintage toys, candy, old family photos or the wildlife around me, that constantly motivates me to create. I work from photo reference so if at all possible, I like to shoot my own subject matter. That alone starts the motivation to want to see the subject as a stand-alone image on a large canvas.
Where do you hope to be 10 years from now and what would you like to say to yourself?
It sounds strange but I honestly hope to be doing exactly what I'm doing right now. I count myself so fortunate that I can make a living off my work, I'm represented in several commercial galleries and I'm able to set my own pace and create whatever strikes my fancy. Really, this is my dream and after many, many years working "real" daytime jobs and creating work in my spare time, I'm so happy to have reached a point in my career where I am able to do it as a job. Not many people can say they love what they do.
Find Heather Millar on Instagram