This month, Mary got to spend time with Heather Bentz, a nationally rejowned artist and all around cool person. Heather was raised by artists, and by the natural world she adventured into throughout her childhood. She holds a BFA in Printmaking from Pennsylvania State University, and an MFA in Painting from Montana State University.

Following her rapt attention to play and adventure in nature as a child, Heather whimsically engages with a variety of materials in her art practice of collage, drawing and painting. In her career, she also supported the education of artists even as she continued creating. She served as Assistant Dean of the college of Arts and Architecture at Montana State University, and later as Assistant Dean of the College of Visual and Performing Arts at the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth.

These days, her pieces hold found and recycled materials and often reference the plants around her and those she observed as a child.

As Heather puts it, "My art is a physical record of how I process the world around me, organizing and layering its frenetic bits to create surfaces that have history and hold the energy that went into their making. The imagery is reminiscent of something familiar. They're places in which I like to let my mind play and poke around."

Enjoy listening to this episode of HILFH, when Heather and Mary poke around to learn more about how nature and humans dance with each other to create art.

You can learn more about Heather Bintz by visiting her website. You can also follow her on Instagram @heather_bentz where she posts her bobcat sightings and shares her art.

Heather’s art is also featured in two current shows in Tucson, AZ - Small Works at the Untitled Gallery and Beneath the Surface, showing at Steinfeld Warehouse.

She has standing exhibitions at ten Space Gallery in Denver and at the Art3 Gallery in Manchester, NH - both of these galleries serving to represent her work.

In our conversation, Heather mentioned the artist, Clyde Aspevig - a creator worth checking out.

And now, as you move into your next days and weeks, take Heather's advice to do what you can to support climate repair - and make sure to pay renewed (and renewing) attention to the light.

MUSIC

Piano Background Music. Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov from Pixabay

Background Piano. Music by Nikita Kondrashev from Pixabay

Relaxing Piano Ambient. Music by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay

Original theme music composed and performed by Gary Ferguson.