Today we’d like to introduce you to Lucia Heffernan.
Hi Lucia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I’m an oil painter living in Salt Lake City, Utah. I’ve been drawing since I can remember, having been taught by my mother, a watercolorist and teacher in Tainan, Taiwan. My family immigrated to the United States when I was 13, and I studied painting in depth while in college, eventually graduating with a BFA major and a design minor from the University of Binghamton in NY. After graduation, I entered the internet era and started designing and doing digital illustrations. I founded a successful advertising and design firm in NYC with 2 other partners, and after about a decade we sold the agency and my husband and I moved to Utah. It was then that I started painting again. I liked the tactile nature of oils and exploring my lifelong fascination with animals. Eventually, I became interested in the narrative possibilities of painting animals in human-like situations. I began using my illustration and graphic design skills to create entertaining and unexpected scenarios as the basis for my oil painting. I particularly enjoyed painting animals in a traditional oil style in ordinary day-to-day human scenarios. Today, I paint almost daily, exhibiting my work throughout the United States, Asia, and Europe, and my work is licensed worldwide.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My primary struggle came when I began to develop my current style. When I first picked up oil painting again, I focused on developing my traditional portraiture skills for several years, painting farm animals, horses, zebras, bears, bulls, wild cats, domestic cats, and dogs. I became obsessed with the innocence and beauty of baby chicks. I would purchase chicks from farm stores as models, eventually painting over 500 baby chick still life paintings. I then became interested in mice, which, like chicks, are small, innocent, and very cute. I noticed, however, that mice were interested in their surroundings and active, unlike chicks, which tend to stand still when placed as a model. So I started putting other objects near the mice for them to investigate and painted that. From there, my illustrator’s brain began to imagine more complicated scenarios for my mouse models–sometimes even in dreams–like putting them in airplanes or clothes or other engaging, humorous human scenarios. From there, I went on to develop my current style. However, I was initially worried that the new work wouldn’t be popular with viewers who were more comfortable with traditional
animal portraiture. That turned out not to be a problem–the paintings in my new style sold well right out of the gate–but some art professionals struggled with it, with one museum board member declaring that my latest work wasn’t “art.” Even art professionals and writers sometimes struggle to categorize my work since it spans animal art, portraiture, oil painting, surrealism, and illustration. I’ve learned to continue to focus on what’s essential: maintaining and improving my painting and drawing skills, and painting what interests me and inspires my collectors and fans.
Let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know? One thing that sets me apart professionally is my background as the founder of a successful graphic design firm, which makes me very comfortable with the marketing and business development aspects of being an artist. For instance, when other artists ask me for business-related advice, I often encourage them to set aside budget funds for marketing via email, social media or fine art magazines, and to enter as many well-regarded national and international art competitions as possible. I also encourage artists to protect their intellectual property rights proactively. I’ve had too much experience with my work being infringed upon and having to take steps to stop unauthorized uses.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
First, my husband Ron. We met over our shared love of skiing, and he was an early partner in the business and sales side of our advertising and design agency, eventually becoming CEO. When we sold the business and moved to Utah, we had twins, and I took up painting again. Some husbands might have difficulty with a new mother’s obsession with returning to oil painting, but Ron has been unwaveringly supportive, always encouraging me to pursue my work. And I work a lot. I could not have achieved my success without Ron’s personal and professional support. And my dog/muse Harley likes him more than me, so there’s that. I also credit my great friend Susan Jarvis. Susan is a fantastic artist and art teacher. I studied with her when I returned to oil painting 20 years ago, and we have been studio mates since then. Susan is retiring soon, and I will miss her daily storytelling, humor, and unique ability to talk about what is and isn’t working in a painting.
Contact Info:
- Website: luciaheffernan.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/luciaheffernan/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/luciaheffernanart/
Image Credits
Lucia Heffernan
