Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Kidd.
Hi Heidi, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have worked as a professional textile designer for many years and I am transition my career to visual arts; My painting technique reflects my design work in watercolor, gouache, and pastel. My style weaves together elements of Impressionism and Realism.
I graduated college from F.I.T. (The Fashion Institute of Technology) in NYC earning my degree in Textile Design and a semester at The Winchester School of Art in England. I also attended The Art Students League in NYC. I then spent 10 years working in NYC Fashion District as a textile designer for swimwear and apparel then moved to the Midwest & South to work for different retailers. After being laid off during the beginning of the 2020 pandemic I made the decision to pursue my lifelong dream and focus on creating art.
Today I work on commissioned portraits and pet portraits as well as show in local galleries and sell work from my website.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The challenges I’ve experienced are learning to trust my vision and create from a place of personal passion.
As a visual artist, I needed to do a bit of everything like a jack of all trades. Create, develop a social media brand, market, curate, edit, frame, price and enter juried and non-juried gallery shows. I’ve built my website and had to learn how to do that on the fly; it’s all a work in progress. I am constantly tweaking and changing things as I go. The biggest challenge for me is selling my work and discussing my process as a creator, marketing and selling are outside my comfort zone. This hands-on experience is an amazing process of self-development and learning which I am working to channel into a successful business.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have a passion for ecological art to raise public awareness about the amazing animals around us, and the environments they live in. I enjoy painting directly from life outside En Plein Air Painting. My easel sits in the landscape and my studio becomes the outside world. I’m captivated by the light and shadows and its changing, ephemeral qualities.
Plein Air painting is when you paint from observation, whether on-site or indoors, you’ll encounter several different light sources, including direct sunlight, overcast sky, window light, and electric light. I also take photos of landscapes and animals and work from my photographs.
My love for nature shines through my paintings of the natural world.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
The ongoing challenges of turning my passion for Art into a sustainable living.
Contact Info:
- Email: heidi@heidikidd.com
- Website: heidikidd.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heidi.kidd.art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidi.kidd.art
