Heather McFarlin

"My abstract oil paintings come from a place of honoring, inquiry, and opening up to something much larger than myself. Like Joseph Campbell said, "follow your bliss." I start with rich, vibrant high pigment oil paints. I find so much satisfaction in color combinations and relationships. I continue, working with layering and texture, always trying to achieve harmony within the palette.

Symbols unfold naturally as I allow the process to move through me, and the composition begins to form. Ultimately I would say my creative process honors deeper feelings and psychological processes, and connects me with a fresh way of perceiving the world that I, in turn, offer to others. My biggest inspirations are Rothko, Diebenkorn, Van Gogh, Matthew Wong and Chagal.

I can relate to what art journalist Karen Kedmey wrote about Mark Rothko: “Rothko painted to plumb the depths of himself and the human condition. For him, art was a profound form of communication, and art-making was a moral act.” My art goes hand in hand with my background working in the Healing Arts. Since the pandemic, I have decided to pivot and become a full-time artist. My studio is a greenhouse in Marin County, California.”