Artist Statement
I have always loved bright colors. Even as a child, in my box of crayons, the brightest colors were always broken and worn down the most. My first art supply purchase was a 99 cent, 8 pan set of watercolor paints from the neighborhood grocery store. The colors were so pretty, I had to have them! To this day, I still prefer to use a bright palette in my artwork. Seeing the pigment straight from the tube, or that first stroke of color pencil or pastel on a clean white surface brings me great joy.
Color is so versatile. It can influence our moods, trigger memories (good and not so good), and create drama, and tension. My artwork is an extension of my love of color. In The Dancer Series, the mood, movement, and action of the dance is conveyed solely through the strokes of colors used to create the dancers' costumes. For my Nature's Imprint Series of paintings, flowers, feathers, and leaves are used to imprint bold splashes of color onto the canvas or panel. One of my favorite pieces, "I Am The Storm", uses bright colors to create the drama and tension of an oncoming twister. Most people associate bright colors with joy and whimsy. I used a bright color palette to turn my favorite scary creatures from childhood, into cuter versions like "Franklin" and "Mumford."
Like most artists, I own more art supplies than I will ever use, and I will continue to buy more because the color calls to me, just like it did when I was that little kid, walking to the grocery store with a dollar bill clutched in my little hand, to buy that first set of watercolors.
Biography
LuAnne Heitzenrater, is a visual artist who creates mixed media drawings and oil paintings. Born in West Central, Pennsylvania, LuAnne graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, with a degree in Visual Communications, majoring in Graphic Design. During her time at AIP, several of her pieces were featured in group displays and showcases. Shortly after graduation, she started her career as a Graphic Designer in the commercial printing industry. After 11 years of designing for others, LuAnne, changed careers, but continued on her artistic journey. Her creative pursuits have included freelance graphic design, jewelry design and currently, she is exploring her passion of color by creating art through two different avenues; oil painting and mixed media drawings featuring color pencil, pan pastel and watercolor.
LuAnne finds inspiration for her artwork in nature, spirituality, the colors of sunsets and sunrises, and various issues that are close to her heart, including the spirit, energy and strength of women. When not in her studio, LuAnne can be found on the back deck with a cool breeze on her face and a book in her lap. Her daily long walks with her dog, Chico, create peaceful moments, and give her the opportunity to see the juxtaposition of color in nature.
