Artist statement example by Heidi Grew

Here is an example of an artist statement by one of our professors, Heidi Grew:

Heidi Grew  http://willamette.edu/cla/arts/faculty/grew/index.html

Most of what I encounter on a given day provides potential inspiration for my work. Fleeting moments of conversation, a given hand gesture used by a close friend, a proverb, a character in a novel, or a simple detail in a painting can inspire an idea. When an experience or memory transforms into something more permanent, such as a sketch or drawing, the creative process begins to take hold. These sketches accompany my hands and mind through the more physical stages of making figurative sculptures with clay. I choose clay for its responsiveness and immediacy, an ideal material to capture the recorded essence of a sketch.

My artistic output consists largely of portraits: friends, community members, legendary people in history, or fictional characters inspired by literature and art. I seek to reveal the vulnerable and pathetic side of the human condition as well as the heroic and beautiful. Animal and human features meld together to develop specific meaning, symbolism, and psychological impact. This combination also allows for greater freedom in the creative process.