HEATHER DRYSDALE STUDIOS

Thank you for taking the time to find me!

I am an Abstract artist working in a variety of mediums making paintings that are bold and energetic.

As a child I was always climbing fences and running away to explore the world on the other side or so I am told by my parents who were always on the run to find me. I had things to do and places to go and to this day, I fear, not much has changed. I have always put my hand to making things but mostly in the Textile arts of sewing, knitting, weaving and dying fibres. I formalized my talents at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design graduated in 1983 with a major in Textiles and Weaving and a minor in Art History and established my business, Heather Drysdale Studios, in that same year.

My career in textiles altered as I pursued Stencilling and Hand-painting on fabrics, walls, furniture and floors which transformed into exploring European Plasters and Old World finishes.

Today, I am a retired Faux Finish Artist having embellished homes throughout the Maritimes. My career in that field has been rewarding and has allowed me the opportunity to explore my love of colour, texture and design. Today, I am exploring the more wild side of my personality and putting strokes of colour and texture on canvases creating an energy that I hope extends to those who view my work.

Nature’s intricate design and story is the biggest source of my inspiration.

I see the world with eyes that are drawn to the texture, line and shape that nature has created through erosion, decay and millions of years of change.

I love the moods of the many seasons. The colours and smells stir my imagination. The story of growth to death has many layers and these are the qualities that I aspire to embody as an artist and express through my painting.

I start with an image or colour or title in mind.

I sometimes throw leftover paint on canvas and scribble words or thoughts, ripped canvas or fabric, newspaper articles onto the canvas.

In my mind I have an library of visual memories that I then see in the underground painting and I sculpt two dimensionally on the canvas to create a textural and colourful composition. Often the painting develops quickly as it breathes it’s self into existence but sometimes it is resistant and seeks something to finish it’s creation. So it waits until it’s needs are met. Or it dies and is reborn as something new.

I want my paintings to come alive and be active on the canvas, to engage the viewer and bring them into the world that I have created.

For more information about me, my inspiration, or my process please contact me directly via email or the social media links below. I’d be happy to share my passion for creating art with you!

Your comments and feedback are always welcomed and participation is encouraged, so please leave me a comment below and let’s get to know each other!