Every month we like to spread the love by sending a 1 gallon kit to a couple of artists who have tagged us on Instagram ... and then we share their work with the world!
Congratulations to artist Heather Fidler ... our second lucky winner for January!
Heather is a contemporary artist based in Indianapolis, Indiana who hand draws the most beautiful, detailed mandalas. Heather works full time in healthcare and as soon as she gets home each day, she starts drawing: "Creating art can be very therapeutic but there is something about Mandalas that is even more so. When I’m drawing if feels like a meditation. I call it Productive Meditation. I hope that the calming energy I feel is implanted into my art. I hope it gives off that same energy."
Since she was first introduced to them simultaneously in high school art and geometry class, Heather has been fascinated with the mandala's perfect synergy of art, science and mathematical precision. She says: "Back then no one knew what they were. There was no internet so I would go to the library to learn more about the geometry, natural biological structures, microorganisms, and cultural uses of the mandala like Catholic rose windows, Buddhist Sand mandalas, Celtic knots, or Native American sand paintings."
Though Heather works in other mediums, she prefers to create her mandalas on paper with colored pencils and ink. First, she starts with an idea surrounding the shape of her mandala: she may choose to build on a hexagon or circular design or her inspiration could come from sacred geometry or the orbit of a planet.
Heather says: "I love that I get to learn about so many things that interest me and at the same time create something beautiful."
Whether her piece is planned or the design reveals itself in the process, Heather starts in the centre of the paper, building her way out.
Heather chooses her color palette based on the mood she wants to evoke in her piece.
Her pieces look so rich because of her meticulous attention to detail.
Once finished, Heather mounts the paper to an art board or wood panel and covers it with resin. She says: "most people do not think that you can pour resin on paper, but you can! It does change the color of the paper, so I practiced for a while before I got the look I wanted.
I had been struggling with a way to protect my art without glass: I wanted the more contemporaneity look of a finished edge canvas instead of framing paper. The resin amplified my details instead of hiding them like glass would. Since I was looking for a more modern look, resin did that for me. It’s so fun to work with - it has really pushed me to be more creative and push past just ink and pencil. I have added objects like beads to my work and incorporated layers! I’m currently working on a multiple layer mandala that’s painted between each layer of resin."
"My hope is that the viewer finds something in my work: maybe its peacefulness and they can use the art as a focal point for meditation. Maybe they will find beauty in a mathematical principal that they never thought could be beautiful. Maybe it makes them think about science in a whole new way, or maybe they just like the colors & shapes."
Heather shows her work in a gallery in Carmel, Indiana called Art on Main, Gallery & Gifts, as well as on her website and Instagram page ( links below ).
Congratulations on your win, Heather!
To see more of Heather's beautiful work:
visit her website: www.heatherfidler.com
follow her on Instagram: @featherfidler
Don't forget ... tag YOUR ArtResin work with @art_resin on Instagram, and YOU could be our next monthly winner!!
