On the Cover

On the Cover: Taking the Plunge by Lucia Heffernan

By Staff

My body of work is an expression and exploration of my lifelong fascination with animals. Through my paintings, I seek to give animals a voice and a personality, whether it’s using bold brushstrokes to convey their motion and mystery or creating interactions with man made objects to tell stories from the animal’s perspective. In my work, the animals take center stage. I strive to capture every whisker, feather and tuft of fur, juxtaposing the realistic depiction of the animal with an abstract background or an everyday human experience.

My inspiration comes from the things I encounter in our daily lives – nature, comics, illustrations, movies, YouTube videos and the countless quirky and charming moments that unfold if we take the time to notice them. By imagining what animals might do if put in human situations, I stage tableaus that shine a spotlight on both their innocence and their raw instinct. This collision between animal and human sensibilities creates a whimsical, theatrical and often humorous world that viewers can relate to on a visceral or emotional level.

A graphic designer by trade and an oil painter by design, I am continually experimenting with different styles of contemporary realism that balance my artistic sensibility, technique and unique sense of humor. As I evolve, what remains constant is my respect for the animals that inspire me and my desire to bring a smile to the face of every viewer.

Represented by:

15th Street Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

Evergreen Gallery, Salt Lake City, UT

Contemporary Master Gallery Lahaina, HI

Mountain Trail Galleries, Park City, UT & Jackson Hole, WY

This article was originally published on August 1, 2016.