Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Horchler.
Heidi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
They say it’s never too late to start something new. I’d always wanted to study art, but figured I’d be a little old lady by the time I got the chance. My luck changed when I had the opportunity to go back to school at the age of 43. Pursuing higher education as an adult was so different than it was at 18. I worked harder than I ever had before, studied, applied myself, soaked up every bit of information, won several scholarships, and earned two degrees with honors and a teaching certificate. DO NOT LET YOUR AGE HOLD YOU BACK.
Being an adult student can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life, often in unexpected ways. One of the main things that halted me from going back to school for so long was my fear of math. I’d always been a horrible math student and struggled with comprehension. A good friend of mine, an engineer by trade, tutored me to get me up to speed and help build my confidence. The colleges also offer free tutoring in their math departments — as well as writing help, if that’s something you need.
After teaching for two years, I was able to concentrate on building my portfolio by working on art from home. I make acrylic paintings on canvas, watercolor on paper, calligraphy/hand lettering, and I have a coloring book available with 20 original drawings (available on my website). I also tutor from home and take commissioned work. You can watch me paint and follow art vlogs on my YouTube channel. The time-lapse videos are also called “speedpainting,” and they fall into that new category of “oddly satisfying” to watch. There’s something very soothing about watching paint flow across the page. I’m still getting used to the video format so if there’s a tutorial or other art subject you’d like to see addressed, leave a comment! I’m very interested in interacting with the audience and answering everyone’s questions. It’s the teacher in me 🙂
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Being an artist of any sort has its challenges, whether you’re a visual artist, musician, writer, dancer, actor, or filmmaker. It seems like people don’t take you seriously unless you’re established, famous, or have tens of thousands of followers. We look at these success stories and think of them as being “lucky” or “an overnight success.” But what you didn’t see are all of the years of blood, sweat and tears the artist put into practice before gaining notoriety. There is so much failure that goes into becoming successful that it can be discouraging at times.
I think the biggest help anyone can give the creative person in their life is support, encouragement, and faith. A simple “I believe in you” or “you can do it” goes a long way. Believe me, the artists in your life already know the difficulties facing them; they don’t need reminders of the struggle, they need your support. It can be as simple as sharing their work on Facebook or telling your friends about them, getting a bunch of people to go to a show, or even signing up for their email newsletter. My biggest struggle so far is just getting the word out, which is why I’m so thankful for opportunities like this interview and publications like Voyage Phoenix who help support local talent.
We’d love to hear more about your art.
I love getting people excited about art! From someone staring thoughtfully into one of my pieces and asking questions about how I made it to a young student discovering watercolor for the first time, I enjoy stepping outside of myself and experiencing the process from another person’s point of view. I believe there is so much to discover about ourselves through exploring art-making. It’s therapeutic, meditative, and helps us express things hidden deep inside us that we didn’t even realize existed. The iterative process of making art helps us problem solve. Working on a project with others strengthens our communicative skills, and art observation helps us experience one another’s multiple perspectives.
As for my own art, one of the first things that stand out is color. My choices are often bright and bold. These are pieces that are going to stand out in a room and really pop. If you’re looking for a conversation starter or a bold pop of color, this is it. The imagery is flowing and organic but often grounded in geometric patterns and borders on surreal or fantastic. It’s not for everyone, and definitely isn’t “minimalist” or understated by any means! But I promise you will get drawn in and notice things you didn’t see the first, second, or even tenth time you looked. What I want most is for the viewer to get lost in my work and to find themselves daydreaming. They should either lose track of time while pondering an image or find themselves thinking about it later in the day, like a melody that reminds you of a pleasant memory.
One thing I’m interested in exploring is sharing the creative experience. I’d love to speak to your group about how to use the creative process to come up with solutions and/or as a means of communication. I can also be booked for art teaching to small groups or parties, tailored to your needs.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I feel so lucky to have the support of my family and to have been able to go back to school and study art. SCC and ASU both gave me a great education, from outstanding and encouraging professors. If I could be a permanent student, I would! I love learning. But other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing. I think we all have a path to follow, and I’m glad mine has brought me to where I am now.
I’d love to help you find that creative spark! If you’re in need of a creative fix, sign up for my free monthly newsletter. There’s a beginner-easy project to do every month. If you visit me on social media or YouTube, be sure to say hi and that you found me through Voyage Phoenix!
Now go make something 🙂
Contact Info:
- Website: https://heidhorch.com/
- Email: heidhorch@GMAIL.COM
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/heidhorch
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heidhorch/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/heidhorch
- Other: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTeHzhQviwgY4EcsxqGsJ5g
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