Heather Neill Bio

"The many detours in my journey have provided rich fodder for my artwork.  In the three plus decades from Connecticut College in 1980, I have gone from managing one of the busiest custom frame shops in the country in the heart of Harvard Square, to being a tradition chair maker; living and working in the old general store in Muddy Creek Forks, Pennsylvania, with countless jobs in between... and come to rest, for now, in a log cabin along the little Conewago Creek. As of 2001, I now paint full time, and divide my time between my Pennsylvania studio and the open studio at the Granary on the island of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts."

"By the time I decided to give painting my full efforts, I was well into my forties.  My partner of over twenty years is a hospice nurse and living with her has taught me that live is short and far too precious to be doing something less than meaningful work.  I work happily and gratefully every day, not taking one one minute for granted."

"In describing my work, some have used the term "narrative".  I guess that fits.  Like a short story, when viewing the paintings, one can be both reader and voyeur.  An invitation at first glance offers layers of ever deepening detail; come closer and explore.  Just as characters are revealed and the interior brought into focus, a shadow falls in the wake of someone who has moved through a room, or a mysterious light glows within a vessel.  It pauses your glance... and you are full of new questions."