Today, we’d like to introduce you to Heather Tapia.
Hi Heather, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born in Miami, FL, and residing in Clearwater, FL, I have always harbored a deep passion for creating art. From an early age, I found immense motivation and pleasure in drawing, spending countless hours absorbed in my creative world.
Art is therapeutic, transporting me to a place of relaxation and peace. As a child, I experienced a few heavy losses, and art became my solace, helping me to overcome the pain of those losses. Creating brings me pleasure and calmness, and I feel incredibly fortunate to express myself through various creative processes and share my work with others.
My formal training in Fine Art began with specialized art programs taught by professional artists from the age of twelve. I pursued my passion further by obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts. My high school years were spent at Harrison School of Visual and Performing Arts, where I had the unique opportunity to study at the Polk Museum of Fine Art for four years.
This experience, surrounded by art daily and learning from featured and professional artists, profoundly shaped my artistic development. I concluded her formal training in college at Florida Southern College and at the University of South Florida. I then launched my first art business, which was creating custom ultrasound paintings for expectant mothers. That business is still going strong, as is my Fine Art business.
My work has been featured on Good Day Sacramento, News Channel 8 in Tampa Bay’s morning show, Child Magazine, Children’s Ministry Magazine, The Hip Grandmother’s Handbook book, and other local newspapers and online articles.
My recent shows have been a Solo Exhibit at the Tampa Museum of Photographic Arts, a pop-up show at Tampa’s West Elm store, and a Holiday Open Studio Show.
I have three upcoming shows. One is at the Imagine Museum in St. Petersburg, FL. I am one of the artists showing my comic and anime art for their graphic worlds: Exploring Comic and Anime Art. This show opens on June 28, 2024, and runs through January 5, 2024.
The second show will be at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, which opens on July 11th and runs through July 14th, 2024. The third show will be at The Swan and the Stork Art Show in Lakeland, FL, on July 12th.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have been bumps in the road because although you learn how to create Art in school, you don’t necessarily learn how to turn Art into a business.
So, there was a learning curve in becoming a Professional Artist. Also, there are times when self-doubt would kick in, which I would have to push aside and just keep painting to outdo that!
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. What can you tell our readers who might not be as familiar with your work?
An influence of being born in Miami, my art is lively and colorful, reflecting the vibrant design, life, color, Hispanic, and tropical influences of her hometown. One of my fondest childhood memories is working in my grandmother’s craft studio in Miami, a space filled with crafting materials and paint. While my Grandmother would design and make specialty hair bows for boutiques in Miami, I would be creating art, a time that deeply influenced my artistic path.
I have developed a unique body of work that includes custom ultrasound paintings for expecting mothers. Recognizing the excitement of seeing a child for the first time, I transform sonogram images into beautiful pieces of art. These paintings preserve the anticipation and joy of this special moment, offering a treasured keepsake for mothers and their babies. Instead of storing sonogram images in a box or old photo album, My ultrasound paintings provide a lasting way to cherish that magnificent moment forever.
My art continues to bring joy and beauty into the lives of my collectors, allowing me to share my creative spirit and passion with the world. My current project is a series of large Highland cows in my signature finger-painted style using R and F oil pigment sticks. The way that I layer the oil pigment gives the paintings a vibrant and glowing effect.
These cows will be shown for the first time this July at the Hamptons Fine Art Fair, where I will be an Artist represented by the Bula Barua Gallery. Bula will be showing her extraordinary Blown Glass on Canvas Art, and Emma Booth will also be displaying her newest, beautiful paintings. And Karla Dana will be sharing her musical compositions at the Fair.
I have also just created a series of anime and comic art for Imagine Museum’s Graphic Worlds: Exploring Comic and Anime Art exhibition in St. Petersburg, FL.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
You can contact me at heather@heathertapiaart.com to collaborate or request a quote for a custom commission. You can also follow me on Instagram @heathertapiaart and Facebook—Heathertapiaart.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.heathertapiaart.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heathertapiaart/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heathertapiaart
Image Credits
K&K Photography
