Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Lynn.
Heather, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My background is as a graphic designer (I am the associate creative director at O&H Brand Design) and Spirit of Salt is my personal painting and design business, wherein I combine my obsession with esoterica, flora and fauna, myths and symbolism with my love of textile painting, pattern-making and the decorative arts, in the style of William Morris and the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements. I particularly love functional artwork – textiles, homewares and apparel that can be used and lived with. I like to bring a little bit of magic to everyday objects that might otherwise be seen as generic or disposable. Similar to the way I work to ‘brand’ businesses in my design work, through Spirit of Salt, I also specialize in creating personal artwork that reflects individuals, unique stories and personal mythologies.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The very reason I started Spirit of Salt was because of a big personal struggle – my primary creative outlet for most of my life was fiber arts: knitting, weaving and macrame. A few years ago, I developed serious tendonitis of the wrist and ultimately had to have surgery, which left me one-handed and forced me to quit all that overnight. I only started painting because it was something creative I could do one-handed. I would never have done so otherwise… painting was always really intimidating to me, and as a primarily digital artist, I didn’t have the confidence that my creative abilities could translate to such an unforgiving medium. Overcoming those insecurities and learning new skillsets has been a big part of my creative journey over the past few years. I actually just published my first e-book documenting the textile painting process I’ve developed.
Please tell us about Spirit of Salt.
I’m probably best known for my painted jackets and apparel. There’s something super cool about wearing a custom piece of art around with you. I’m also known for my imagery… lots of snakes! I draw lots of inspiration from esoteric imagery: the magical diagrams of early scientists and philosophers, and the use of symbolism to tell stories.
What I’m most proud of, and what I do think sets me apart as an artist, is my approach to commissions. It’s similar to the branding work I do at my day job. Only instead of branding a business, I’m using my design skills to create personal pieces of artwork that tell the story of individual lives, personalities and passions. Most of my best work has been the result of these collaborative conversations with clients, where their own vision gives the structure and meaning the work I create.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my most formative childhood memories was a trip to Germany: My mother was German, and after she passed away when I was 13, my Dad and brother and I took a trip to her homeland. I remember touring the castle ruins on the Rhein and being absolutely intoxicated by the sense of history, the untold stories of the countless anonymous lives that had touched those stones… the imagery in the tapestries, the crumbling gargoyles, the carvings in the walls of taverns and cathedrals many hundreds of years old. All the secrets that they held. As a very capital-R Romantic person, I have always wanted to find a way to translate my lifelong longing for magic and meaning into artwork, but I really hadn’t started to piece that together until the last few years.
Contact Info:
- Website: byspiritofsalt.com
- Email: heather@byspiritofsalt.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/spirit.of.salt
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