Heather Smythe-Hanan Biography
Born a Libran Sun with Scorpio Moon Oct. 13, 1950 7:20PM MST Idaho Falls, ID
She has been inspired by the worlds of fantasy, earth Gaia the Goddess She has been painting for only 13 years but has been drawing since she was 10 – an artist all her life. She also writes spontaneous impactful poetry to compliment her work.

Three days before 9/11 Heather had premonitions and felt within her body an overwhelming irritation about what was to come. From her excited feelings at this time came the painting of the Saturn and Pluto Opposition!

She sat down in trance and got an immediate vision, which was huge! Swirling cement dust and she jumped up and closed the door, got out of trance. She said to herself I quess the future is not set in stone. It is liquid.

Ten Days after 9/11/ when the asteroid Diana was aspecting her lunar angles, she was attacked by a Presa canaria dog. She saw a vision of the dog the day before and having heard a voice tell her that the hounds of hell had been unleashed, she prepared herself for the encounter, wearing boots, very tight tights and a long sleeved velvet dress to go to Sacramento in 100 degree weather, so though she was hamstrung, the dog couldn’t get the toothage it needed to bring her down. She then kicked the dog down from its lunge for her jugular. She even brought along a camera and took pictures of the dog and its owner, while her friend got all the pertinent information. The dog is dead, she is pleased to announce.

She also shot eighteen scenes of a film called Black Point Sea Gypsies, a total failure. The fourth suite of the tarot deck she’s written is named failure. The deck itself is named Completion. She has seventy-one paintings covering the walls of her house and admits to trying to paint so that people can have beautiful images in the proper colors for the eight directions of their homes, following traditional feng shui advice.

This is in spite of the fact that what she calls beautiful, may be someone else’s idea of a nightmare, contending that her paintings can catalyze an initiatory experience.

Click for a Larger Picture.

In her own words, Heather describes her paintings:

Gooey color smooshing calms nerves frayed by too much verbosity, too many mental distinctions and dissections. Images dance their way out thru brush or knife. A counter-force when I’m pushing my limits working in 3-D, meeting the challenges of two-dimensional space brings a rightness to my brain. Hopefully to the viewer as well.

The hard spots of difficult content in my paintings push positive pressure, place awareness on unspoken identities contained on canvas. Illumination of eternally becoming something else or perhaps somewhere else.

Gambling, a predilection for betting informs my style of hardly ever painting over. Also, I never under draw, never plan nor have any idea whatsoever, except thematically. Relinquished control of content allows images to appear of their own volition. I do place intention for allowing story to come forth. I plot themes, like marriage, numbers, archetypal portraits, praying for wholeness and reconciliation of parts in movement and color and form. I paint the collective unconscious. Some of it is a lie, or nest of lies, embedded, so the dive downward is revealed.

Colors present themselves for choice, series of hues enter into contest with each other. Grey supports. White may make clear an otherworldly event takes place as does dark. Surprise is an element, if mystery is a surprise. People wear their animal forms, moons light above women’s heads, nestled in their hair that looks more feather or flower petal than hair. Cat and kitten, rabbit and fox, man and woman hold each other hostage, hold each other dear, tempt fate.

Amphibian Girl with Grandma Sphinx

Click for a Larger Picture.

The variety of rhythms within the brushwork makes clear the painter studied and performed as a dancer, before taking up with brush and palette knife. One could correctly assume she always has a story to tell. Many of her stories are introduced via poetry from a raw, soulful place.
For an even more colorful presentation of Heather's Poetry visit Anthology of Poetry by Heather Smythe-Hanan

Heather's Paintings are available for gallery showings and for sale
Limited Edition Prints can also be ordered now.
For All Inquires Call Kiel at 415-884-9215 or Heather at 415-898-9067 or email: heather.hanan@verizon.net