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1. Do you have any particular theme within your works that you enjoy painting? Why?
I do! And many of them! I suppose aside from the most obvious themes like my faerie and storybook pieces, ice skating is a theme that is a little more unique to me as an artist. I’ve combined my love for the sport and fae art by creating little creatures I’ve named “Ice Pixies” which are faeries with a soft spot for ice skating.
That theme is so strong in my art because I love the beauty of what can be done on ice. So much beauty and tenderness and sheer joy can be conveyed in the movement of skating. But I also love the old Victorian photos and illustrations of skaters from days gone by, and I try to find a way to combine that with a little bit of fancy. Thus, the Ice Pixies were born!
2. Do you think that the location in which you live can affect your visibility and marketability as an artist? Do you think it affects you personally positively or negatively?
I do…but with the help of the internet it is a lot easier to get past geographical barriers in that sense. Thank goodness for the internet! While I love my home and feel a real connection to this place and the people, my style of art, being the more fanciful and whimsical sort, isn’t the most prominent style here in Oklahoma. There is a strong history of native and animal art, which is wonderful, but not what I personally create.
Little by little though, I am starting to make my way here amongst the cowboy art 
I’ve started selling prints at a local boutique and have been asked to do some decorative painting in people’s homes and even some mural work.
So you never know until you try what you might be successful at in your area. I don’t really find it limiting personally because I can always find art of interest in book stores, online, in my own book collection. I think illustrations are a wonderful source of inspiration, and there’s a whole section of bookstores devoted to it…Seek and you shall find!
3. If you had to name one thing that has helped you to grow and expand as an artist, what would it be?
One thing…as in an inanimate object? Well, in that case I would say “The Artist’s Way” by Julia Cameron. It’s a book that is invaluable to an artist if only to just boost your confidence and let you know that your artistic dreams aren’t frivolous, they have substance and they’re worth striving for.
Although I’ve always been ‘artsy’ and consider art a big part of my identity, for a long time I think I sort of suppressed it in thinking that art was no way to make a life, and that I had to find a ‘real and serious’ job and art would take up whatever time I could carve out for it. But this book made me realize that whatever talent I may have should not be wasted on my being wishy-washy or denying my wanting to make art. It made me see that doing art is a part of me, and a justifiable part, and that was something I really needed to hear.
It makes me wake up being happy and wanting to be creative. And that’s half the work in being an artist, believing in yourself to do something, so that you can do it.
4.Do you think your art has a certain style? If so, what would you describe it as?
I think so. I’ve heard tell that I’ve got a certain style. But I think we all do. We all have our way of perceiving things and then putting them on paper. The word I’ve kind of snatched up as ‘all-encompassing’ for my art is “whimsical.” I really love the old style of illustration, like in the old Alice in Wonderland books, where the drawings are cute but bordering on really dark and strange. I want my art to have some depth to it, which might sometimes be dark, but also have some humor and wit in it to lighten things up. That’s what I try for anyway!
5. Tell us about one of your greatest artistic achievements to date.
Aside from this flattering spotlight? Well, I’d have to say my little wall at this antiques and interiors shop in Tulsa. It was really strange and thrilling to see my stuff out and displayed and ready for buying with all these beautiful things…and when someone actually BOUGHT something—I was so thrilled.
6.How long does it usually take you to complete a painting from sketch to finished product?
Honestly, I am an artist with a short attention span. And that’s not usually a good thing, but I try to make it work for me. Its not odd for me to have a couple of paintings going at a time so I can work on one while the other is drying or I’ve gotten frustrated with it. Although I can work on one through a week doing a little here and there, I’d say it takes me about 2-6 hours to complete a painting. I don’t really work on large scale, and have been liking working on a 5×7 size. So its usually a matter of hours, unlike when I was in school and it would take weeks to finish a project. That just drove me nuts.
7. What ways do you currently advertise your art and do they work well for you?
I’ve tried to join multiple (free!) art sites like ArtWanted, Deviant Art, and Sheezyart because it never hurts to put one more gallery up. I also, like I mentioned before, started selling some of my work at a retail location. The most valuable advertisements though seem to be through connecting with people on like-minded sites…be they art forums like FAE or more special interest. I like to pick a few sites I like and then try to be part of the conversation there. I think there’s nothing more irritating than a poster who only pops in to sell something, so be courteous to your buyers and potential customers by being willing to converse with them about things not pertaining to your business. I think that’s a great way to create repeat buyers, when people know and like you, as well as really good friends.
8. Being an artist, which would you find most difficult: the loss of your hands or your eyesight?
Ah, what a terrible thought! Something artists fear in particular. Although I think either would be a really tragic loss for me, I think I’d have to put my hands above sight. I think I would be beyond frustrated if I could not work with my hands anymore. Everything I do- my livelihood, my hobbies, all depend on my hands. It frightens me to think of losing their use.
9. Out of all your art, which piece means the most to you and why?
That’s a really hard question. I don’t know that I have an answer for that, honestly. I suppose the first piece that even meant a great deal to me and made me proud was my “Sleeping Beauty” that I made in school (you can see it on my site in the portfolio section) It was done on a huge piece of black matte board and done with only white conte pencil. I remember my art teacher being really struck by it, and I thought it turned out better than I ever hoped.
Of my current work though, I suppose “Celia and Percival” are my favorites at the moment. I love the bright color and darkness, and the strange mood it kind of gives off. Is it sweet? Is it dark? I really like that.
10. Do you have certain techniques that you use in most of your works or is every piece an experiment?
Don’t know if I’d call it ‘technique’ as much as ‘habit!’ My most recent experiment has been with waterproof ink, doing the inking first and then painting. I’m finding I really like it. I usually ink, paint, then come back to ink finer detail.
But I do have habits…I always start with the face. Always! One trick I love is to draw the oval for the face, and then draw a cross on it. The middle line will give the direction for the nose, and the situation of the horizontal line will give the level of the eye. I find that simple technique very helpful in getting the basic things situated.
11. Where do you get the ideas for your paintings?
Anywhere….It can be in visiting a certain place. Or in an object like a gemstone, or a season like spring. I often find inspiration (as well as frustration, I admit) in the work of other artists, past and present. I LOVE JW Waterhouse, Arthur Rackham, Sulamith Wulfing, Cicely Mary Barker, Paula Modersohn-Becker and Gustav Klimt. I also find inspiration in books I love or phrases that I think are interesting. I’ve had a funny phrase in my head for months now, that I’m still trying to get down on paper…Hope someday I’ll get it figured out!
12. If you could be someone else for one day, who would you be and why?
I honestly have no idea! I’m assuming for this questionnaire it has to do with art . Who….I suppose I’d get a kick out of being any of the painters I listed above. I’d love to be them painting in their studio all day, learning their secrets and what inspired them. Then I’d try to take that knowledge back with me, and wow everyone with my progress!
13. Is there any particular person in your life that has pushed you and kept you motivated artistically? A mentor or a friend?
Lots of people have encouraged me through my life. My mom was probably the first…She used to really be into country crafts and she and I would spend many a Saturday in the garage painting things. Being accepted into a summer art program that was auditions only also did a lot for my confidence.
But the person who has pushed me and encouraged me and contradicted me when I thought my work was lousy would have to be my husband. I am so lucky to have him. I think he tells me he’s proud of me just about every day, and he always says he “really likes” everything I show him. He even took an ice pixie to work with him to display in his office! I think I might have gotten frustrated and quit several times if it wasn’t for him. I’m very lucky to have someone like him who believes in me so much, that I cant help but believe in me too.
Name: Heather Van Winkle
Website: http://www.reverieart.com
Retail space at “The Market” at 81st & Harvard, Tulsa OK
email: heather AT reverieart.com
DeviantArt: http://hvanwinkle.deviantart.com/
ArtWanted: http://www.ArtWanted.com/icepixie
SheezyArt: http://icepixie.sheezyart.com/
ebay ID: reverie_art
