Heather Murray

name: Heather Murray

name of your business:
Heather Murray Art and Maud Starr Art

city and or country you live in?
Chatsworth, Ontario Canada

when I was a child I wanted to be?
an artist

I wish I’d never worn?  My square jeans (they were 3-d ..sewn in the shape of a cube on my legs!) worn on a trip to Yugoslavia in the 70's

5 things on your desk right now?  
My beloved matte gel medium, scraps of original text ephemera, brushes galore, my water bottle, vintage images of children, women

Smiles are Best currently for sale on Etsy

favorite guilty pleasure?
potato chips
 
I’m very bad at? 
being punctual

favorite movie of all time?
Frida

do you collect anything?
I collect old watches and clocks and occasionally vintage chicken themed pottery.

what’s your strangest talent?
Presently my strangest talents are skills developed in Roller Derby.

if you got a free plane ticket to anywhere, where would you go?
India..  a fascinating, complex  and beautiful country

how did you get started?
Although I have been creative lifelong I really got started in 1999 when my daughter was  8. I suddenly recognized that I could break away from conventional training and high realism painting to collage and mixed media as a form of expression. I started with journaling and recognized the therapeutic value of art and how crucial it was to my life balance and identity!

go to products that relate to your craft?
I am not attached to particular brands  of art supplies but my key products are matte and heavy gel mediums, acrylic paints, china or marking pencils, gesso and canvas or wood as substrates. I enjoy hunting for unusual vintage ephemera, photos for my work and love the distressed quality of the "real thing"..

how do you get inspired or stay inspired?
I underhand now that creating art is essential. I also work in the field of social work/ mental health and it provides a counterbalance to this work. Having a studio outside the home helps to keep me dedicated-when I arrive there my only purpose is to make art! I can also leave my mess behind and close the door! :-) Developing an online presence (blog, shop, classes ) also keeps me centered and tuned in to continuously evaluating and growing my craft.

how/where can people find your work? 
My blog -  My Ephemeral Imagination
my etsy shop:  MaudstarrArt 
Take an online class with me at The Trodden Path or check out my Facebook page for current works.

Maisie May currently for sale on Etsy

Thank you again Heather for sharing your talent with us.  We are inspired by the beauty.

now carry on,
paula