It’s impossible not to have your spirits lifted when you walk over the threshold at the new studio of artist Judith HeartSong in Glen Echo. Color explodes from paintings of flowers, from clever boxes studded with beads, from images of butterflies, while a serenity emanates from the more muted tones of paintings of stacked river stones and nautilus shells, as well as hundreds of actual stones and shells perched on surfaces throughout. The studio is full of life and the art of her lifetime, absent any sense of clutter.
HeartSong has been a force in the local art community for years. She painted a mural of Indonesian animals at the National Zoo. She was a volunteer, then Assistant to the Director of Exhibitions, for Rockville Arts Place, eventually taking studio space as a resident artist in the new VisArts. HeartSong had also by that time begun working with ArtMatters, a corporate art consulting firm, and eventually moved over to work full time with them. She was also Resident Artist Liaison at VisArts and served on the Board of Directors. She realized, she said, “a lot of things were taking my attention besides my own work.”
That realization and an intentional change in real estate led to the studio warming she’ll be hosting this weekend at her new digs on Oberlin Avenue (downstairs from ArtMatters, where she now works just a couple of days a week). “It’s the greatest little neighborhood. And it’s a natural fit being next to Glen Echo. It just couldn’t be better.” She’s got more than four times the space she had in her previous studio and has furnished it with loving care with her artwork as well as pieces from friends and other artisans she admires.
In the gallery and discussion space HeartSong will continue offering workshops in acrylic painting, “wild watercolors,” mixed media and faux encaustic painting where she creates an acrylic painting and instead of using wax to build up layers over the top, uses other water-based mediums. She can build workshops for groups and often serves a snack or a meal and it makes a “happening.” For individuals, she does one-on-one “paint-alongs” or smaller workshops.
One thing she doesn’t do any more is art shows, focusing instead on private commissions and gallery representations. “The funny part about artists,” she noted, “is they hate PR. But I love wearing both hats.” She started “…An Artsy Blog” that she posts to every day on some aspect of being an artist.
HeartSong takes no more than about six commissions a year. Some are from old friends who just say “paint me whatever you want to.” Others are from clients who provide much more input, like the painting of lupine flowers still sitting on her easel that she did for a client who wanted a series of four seasonal paintings for his mountain home.
She has also gotten into licensing her art, with prints on sale on the Princess Cruise Lines and the Queen Mary II. Her Peacock (Crimson) image was licensed to Transformational Threads, which then has it rendered into custom hand embroidery by Vietnamese artisans.
One of the things HeartSong is passionate about is teaching still life water colors at Ingleside at King Farm retirement community. Her students “share their experiences and wonderful, wonderful spirits. They’re giving and I’m giving and it’s a really neat friendship we’re building.” And something she wants to start doing again is team building experiences using art, which she did with police departments, hospitals and mental health professionals when she lived in Florida.
HeartSong’s multimedia work is a delight of discovery, much of it playful takes on wood boxes and purses using clever decoupage pictures, found objects and pages of books. Now she has a studio that lets her display her expansive collection.
“It’s a very inspirational space. The things that I love are here.”
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Judith HeartSong Fine Art Studio and Gallery, 6112 Oberlin Avenue, Glen Echo. 240-481-5034. judithheartsong.com
