Simsbury Artist Paints To Convey Joy Special to Today Magazine
SIMSBURY ARTIST Heather van Frankenhuyzen began painting when she was a young child — her father is a professional artist and encouraged her creativity. She works full-time as a urology nurse and sold her first painting earlier this year. Heather and her family moved from Indiana to Connecticut — Simsbury specifically — in 2021. Before that, in reverse chronological order, they lived in the following places: Fort Wayne, Indiana • Bangor, Maine • Seattle, Washington • and Kalamazoo, Michigan. She was born in Michigan and raised in the town of Bath, about 18
100 miles northwest of Detroit. She graduated from Bath High School in 2001 and turned 41 in September. In the following exclusive interview, Heather outlines her artistic journey: What is your primary medium? Watercolor What is your primary motivation for producing artwork — and other motivations? Joy! I find creating art peaceful and therapeutic. Sometimes I just want to capture a memory in a way that a photograph can’t. I want to capture the feeling I had while on a specific hike at a specific time. Sometimes, I have something that I can’t put
OCTOBER 2024 – www.TodayPublishing.net – TODAY MAGAZINE
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ARTS
words to that I need to let out or express. Art helps me do that. Many times, I sit down not knowing what I want to paint, only that I need to paint. I start to put color on the paper and just start to go with whatever comes out. Painting is very freeing when you don’t try to make something look a certain way — you let the paint start to take shape on its own and then just emphasize what is already there. At what age did you become interested in art — and what sparked your interest?