Featured Artist: ~ Heather Schwartz "Ying He" Painting Nature's Beauty My parents told me that, as a young girl, even before I could talk, I always became extremely excited when they took me out to look around outdoors. They said that I always seemed to be fascinated by the trees, the birds, the clouds, the sky and all my other surroundings. By contrast, they said that if they took me to places where there were a lot of people, I was quickly bored and would fall asleep. (I guess they should have taken me to meet people outdoors) Anyway, I still prefer landscapes to portraits ­ the little girl never really changed that much! Later on as a teenager I was lucky enough to meet some artists who were my parents' friends. I would often sit behind them for hours and watch them paint and draw. I loved what they did and their work made me want to be able to paint the things I could see. It helped me to choose the path I wanted my life to take. Several years later I had the good fortune to attend one of the best art institutes in China. The institute provided a combined emphasis on theory, technique and art history and provided a broad background in all of them. The emphasis on breadth of knowledge meant that students did extensive sketching and drawing. We also painted figure models and still life displays using a variety of mediums including acrylics and oils. After class in the evenings and on the weekends we went outside to paint landscapes since they could not be displayed in the classroom. These outdoor sessions provided some of the most pleasant memories of my art education. Even now, years later, I still paint outdoors when the weather permits. I always liked the quote, "The most important thing is not how to paint, but rather how to see." I like to paint what I see in real life, especially landscapes. To my eyes, the most beautiful thing to paint is large vistas of land. The land has its own harmony rich with shapes and with endlessly changing colors. I view nature as a friend who communicates eloquently despite the silence in which we often both exist. Unlike the poet using language to describe the beauty of nature, I use a brush to re-create nature's beauty in my own language as seen by my own eyes. When I paint landscapes, I feel freedom and release. I am not a copy machine or a slave to what I see. As an artist I am free to interpret and express my feelings through the medium of my art. Since my college graduation I have always been in the art field. I have worked as a designer, taught children and taught college. Of course, I have always continued painting for shows and galleries with whatever time I have to spare. Except for the pure joy of painting, I love teaching most because the teaching process allows me to continue to develop my own ideas and techniques while enjoying the fun of exchanging ideas and practicing with the students. I recently moved to Spokane with my husband and my son. We love the beauty and tranquillity of this place and have never felt as close to nature as we do now. I feel blessed to be here and my desire to paint, especially landscapes, has never been stronger. ~ Heather gained a considerable following teaching both children and adults in Los Angeles from 1993 to 1995. Her diverse works include still life, landscape, animal and portrait paintings in a variety of mediums. Her works have been widely exhibited throughout both China and the United States including exhibits at galleries in Taos, New Mexico, Laguna, California, Los Angeles, California, and Park City, Utah.

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