heather STUBBS
Multidisciplinary Artist
ARTIST STATEMENT
Beauty matters to me, wherever and however I find it. Beauty uplifts us and reminds us of the Oneness at the essence, not just of all humanity, but of the entire manifest world. It reminds us to be our best self. I’m constantly exploring ways to express my highest understanding of physical and spiritual beauty in paint, using styles ranging from abstract to realism. The spiritual symbolism of animals interests me, and I often include them in a composition.
BIOGRAPHY
I’ve spent my whole life working in the arts, beginning with piano lessons at age five. I earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of British Columbia with a major in Voice Performance, and immediately embarked on a ten-year career in music theatre and concert touring as a singer, actress, pianist and accompanist.
Eventually, wanting a more settled life, I moved from BC to Ontario, married, and earned a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Toronto. In 1991, my husband and I moved from Toronto to Castleton, Ontario, where I taught French and music for several years before leaving public education in 1996 to open my own studio. I taught piano and singing, and later, public speaking and presentation skills. During this time, I began to paint. My late husband, John, who was one of the founding members of the Colborne Art Gallery, was my first teacher.
I retired from teaching in 2013, and John and I downsized to a condo in Cobourg, where I’m very involved in the musical life of Cobourg, specifically with the Oriana Singers choir and the 16-voice, Safe Harbour choir. Painting, however, has become my greatest love. It gives me great joy to have come full circle, joining the community of artists at the Colborne Gallery that my husband helped to bring into being.