The Artist and the Sea: Painter Whitney Heavey's Fascination with the Sea Goes Back Generations

Hello, I'm Dr. Lisa Beil. And today I am in the studio with artist Whitney heve. It's really a great pleasure to have you here today. Thanks Lisa. It's great to be here. So I'm, I'm enjoying this piece behind us. Um, and it's called holiday with the pink or those beach roses. Yes. Although beach roses are definitely a source of inspiration for me. I see them a lot. Um, but I wasn't looking at beach roses specifically, um, a little bit abstracted, but definitely that's probably my biggest, uh, flower reference from the coast and wild flocks sometimes too. So wild flocks. What color is wild flocks, Kind of a pinky lavender. Um, and I think it kind of blooms around well on Cape COTA, blooms around July. Um, I think that's what it is. Wild FLOX I should look it up and make sure I know that happens to me all the time where I, I know you're also a runner I'm out runner running and I'm like, okay, can I remember this long enough so I can get home and look up this flower and know what I'm so interested in watching as I'm going by. You probably get a lot more miles in because I stop and I take a lot of photos on my runs and, um, I think you'd be surprised. Oh, really? yes. I also get very easily distracted. So yes. Which is not the worst thing. No, no. I mean, that's how we take in the outside world and all this nature. If I was just focused on, um, you know, the ground in front of me, I wouldn't, I wouldn't be able to paint what I paint. So looking back at this piece behind us, is this something that, you know, tell me a little bit about your process, I guess, do you stop take a photo while you're running or when you're otherwise out, do you work from a photo? Do you work from memory? How do you do it? Um, I don't work, always work the same way. I, I use sketchbooks a lot. Um, I use photos. I also use videos because I feel like it can capture air quality and the sound of the birds or a breeze or the humidity level. Um, and sometimes I use the sketchbooks to write a little bit about the scene. Sometimes paintings evolve, they start with a physical location or a physical area, but then they evolve to a little more. I take a little more license sometimes. Um, you know, we had spent time in Cape Elizabeth and it was a different season and, you know, I just imagined coming back and during the summer, or, you know, different time on a holiday. So, um, sometimes they, they take a, a direction of their own. Um, I kind of let the painting decide. Yeah, that makes sense. So if we're looking at this one that is called holiday, tell me how you came to, um, kind of evolve this piece. So this piece, um, today we were talking about failure, um, at a workshop I was at at Portland art gallery. And, um, the, the guide was asking us about, uh, a failure you had had in your studio and, and what that looked like. And I was thinking about it and this painting, if I had walked away, would've been a failure. Um, it was a struggle and I've, I've done a lot of work on shifting my mindset in recent years. And this painting was an epic battle. I there's probably, if you picked it up, Kevin noticed, um, how heavy it is. Uh, it's got probably 30 layers of paintings and maybe three of them would've been, good as they were. Um, but I kept painting and I look at it instead of as a, as a failure, it was a great teaching, uh, opportunity. And I feel like the paintings that I struggle with the most, I learn a lot from, uh, whether it's about myself, the process color, anything. Um, so this one really was a challenge, but once I shifted it to, okay, this painting has a lot to teach me. Um, I came to a better place with it. So Why the name holiday? Um, well, , I, I have ADHD, so I'm definitely, you know, all over the place at times. Um, and I like music, I like an eclectic mound music. I also, you know, I'm a sucker for old movies like Doris Day. And I love the idea of like going on holiday, not necessarily a holiday, but using the term holiday for vacation. Um, and in this day and age where work follows us 24 7, and it's very hard to sort of delineate, um, non-work time, uh, for both my husband and I, um, I just love that sort of old fashioned term going on a holiday, you know, with, with the doors day outfit and, you know, jetting off somewhere. And, um, and the idea of it being play play time, time away from work time for leisure time to read, to slow down. Um, it's a very happy, uh, it's a very happy thing to me. And, um, I would think most people would think that. So, um, and it's something I strive for just to get to a place where we can just play. , you know, it's hard to fit that in when you love your job and you wanna work all the time. So, So in looking at this piece, what's also interesting. And as you're describing the process is that you put a lot of work into it. Yes. You put all those layers, those 30 layers on it, so that when you keep to the end, things did open up for you. I'm imagining. Yes. Yes, definitely. Um, it, you know, there's times where I have to step a step away to come back to it. Um, and usually usually with my paintings, I know when they're done, but some, some it's a little harder to, to know, and, and the, and I have to be careful not to keep going into them. So, um, uh, but sometimes that struggles what leads to a pain you're happier with or a pain you're excited about. So I would think that it is an interesting challenge to know when a painting is done versus not done versus overworking something and spending too much time and going back to it. How do you try to figure that out? Um, well, it's definitely a challenge. Um, I, a lot of artists are afraid of a white campus. They're intimidated by it. I love jumping right in. I love the unknown. I don't plan my paintings out. I mean, I might have a general idea of color or place or, um, or intention, but I like to jump right in. And a lot of times I do a under, um, an underpainting first, which when I start, um, painting, start the painting on top of the underpainting, I get some kind of exciting things happening. And, um, but finishing paintings, that is my personal, uh, that part is a little harder for me. Some paintings I know right away, this is, this is it. This is good, walk away. and other paintings have more to teach me. And I have to, I have to spend more time figuring out what they wanna say. Um, and I think too, I mean, you know, I, I'm selling my paintings to people who have worked hard for their money and they, you know, I feel like I have to put my best work forward. So I, you know, I don't wanna just put out work that I'm not happy with. Um, you know, I just, I want, I wanna be proud of the work that goes out into the world. So sometimes that means more and more time with it. So Do you think people would surprised to know that this idea of failure being important in art is actually a thing? Do you think that people understand that sometimes the first time you do something that's not exactly perfect and that you have to walk away and come back and look at things differently? I think, Um, I mean, I think the, the beauty of Instagram is I think a lot of people who aren't artists are getting, um, are getting to know artists more and the process more. So I, I think that, um, maybe is giving some insight to that. And, and to be honest, I think perfectionism for me can ruin a good painting. Um, because I think it's the imperfections that make it more interesting to me, I think about are I like, um, so, you know, I think it's, it's good for people to hear that and see a little of the process. And, and also I've had people say, um, you know, how long did this painting take you? And a lot of artists, I I've talked with several artists about this and we all sort of agree. It took our whole life. It took the failures, it took the, the paintings that we ended up scrapping. It, it took the successes. So, um, I think if one painting comes together more quickly and one takes a lot longer, they both took my whole life up until that point. So, um, and I'm excited to see what the next paintings are gonna be. So That's a really profound idea because I think a lot of times, well, I'll just use medicine as an example, when a patient will come up to me in the grocery store and say, Hey, could you look at my mole? It's no big deal. It's what you do. It's like, well, a lot went into my current state of this, this particular profession I'm engaging in. So it's not so simple as like no big deal, like, just look at your skin lesion in a supermarket. So I, I think that's a really interesting thing for people to know is that we might see something and think, oh, well, how, how hard could that be? Right. I mean, I hear this often about abstract art in particular, like a kindergartner could have done it. Well, not really. There's really a lot more To it. Art is so hard. It's really hard. It's um, no, it's true. And, and I think so many people say to me, you're so talented, you're so talented. And I, I think personally, everyone can be an artist. I might, you know, upset certain people. If I say that maybe not everyone can be every type of artist, but I think for me, I've put the hours in, I show up every day, I paint every it's years and years of learning, and I'm gonna deviate a little bit. um, I think about there's certain things like yoga and tennis, that at the more you learn, the more you get to know it, it's like suddenly you realize how much more there is to learn. And it's like a mind blowing like moment. And I think art is like that, you know, you, you know, the, the more you get into it, the more you realize, wow, there's so much more I wanna learn. And, and we're always striving to do, you know, the next painting is better than the last is better than, you know. Um, so I don't know if that I kind of went all over there, but No, I think you, I think you answered it really Well. Oh, good. Good. I wanna ask you about this reframing idea, this idea that you, in particular, this painting, you looked at it one way, and then you had to think about it a different way in order to look at it differently. And, and I, I think you also are doing this sort of thing even with your own life. Mm-hmm . So talk to me about that. Um, so, well, there's technically things you can do to reframe a painting, like looking at it through a photograph in the editorial process, um, looking at it in a mirror, um, through a mirror to see it with fresh eyes, taking it to a different place to look at it. I often think I, I need, I deliver a lot of wet paintings, but I need to, um, or I would, I would love to build in time to bring the paintings home and see them in a different setting. Um, but as far as sort of reframing my mental state, um, or my emotional state, I'm, I'm trying to, you know, it's, it's been a really tough year for me personally. It's been a tough year for a lot of people personally, or a lot of people. Um, but I've Al I also have an amazing life. So I've, I've really tried to reframe my mind. And, um, I do this practice that I started with three, uh, dear friends called glad. And we, it, we did it daily for a while at the beginning of the pandemic, um, texting and it's, uh, grateful learned, uh, accomplished, um, and delight. And one, one of the women who suggested it is a life coach and, um, very wise. And, you know, there are days where it's life makes it a tough day and it's sometimes hard to look for the positives when, you know, it seems like everything's going, you know, I don't wanna swear, but you know, in a bad place. And, um, this practice is just been good for me. You know, there's some days where a bed to sleep in or running water or , um, is a really good thing to look at. And also just, what am I trying to learn? How am I trying to grow? Um, and some days where you just have to say, I got up, I got dressed. , you know, I get to my studio or whatever, anything basic. And then the delight I love because it's oftentimes for me in nature. And, um, this past year and a half has been particularly tough because I haven't been running because I had an injury. And so often that was where I got a lot of nature and delight and, you know, it's all around us. I mean, there's so much beauty in the natural world, but you have to, you have to be present to see it. And you can't be thinking about all the things that are bad or going wrong, or, or you can't, if you're, if you spend your whole time, when you're out in nature, letting the anxious thoughts, you know, the to-do list, the, you know, everything you're not as present. So I'm really working on trying to be present. Um, and some of those things are practices that I'm working on, like the glad practice some are, you know, I try things and maybe they don't stick. Um, you know, I got a nice comfy chair for my studio. So I'm hoping to do more reading about art, writing about art, um, having a place, setting the stage, so to speak so meditation. Oh, good things grounding. And when I've grounded, well, when I'm grounded, it helps my art. Um, although sometimes , if I'm not grounded and, or things are crazy, um, painting is therapy, therapeutic it's, um, it's, I just love what I do, and I feel so grateful to do it. So even on the tough days, so , so I was telling you about a piece that is currently up at the Portland art gallery, which I believe is fair wins and following seas, is that Correct? Yes. Fair wins and following seas. And there there's something about it that I, I mean, the word that I just, I just sat there and I looked at it for a while, and there's just this effervescence about it, you know, it's, there's this lightness. And, and I think when you and I were talking about it, you kind of mentioned something about the effect that you were trying to get. Talk to me about That. Um, well, that's amazing that you use that term effervescence, um, because I've spending more time by the water. Now that I live on the, uh, coast of Cape Cod, um, off season, I see a lot more light on the water midday, whereas in the summer it tends to be more at the end of the day. Um, and I've always wanted to capture that in a painting, and it's a tricky thing to capture it in a natural way. Well, I wanna capture it in a natural way, but not necessarily necessarily a literal way. So that painting, I was, um, I was in struggle with that one too, and not sure how I was gonna get there to the end. Um, and I had this one afternoon after that one has a lot of layers on it, too. It, I just painted in this like flurry and I was really trying to experiment with how I put down the paint. Um, and all of a sudden it just started happening and I could have worked on a little more, but I stopped and I'm glad I stopped. But, um, I think that kind of, I, I like being able to experiment with my work and how I apply paint and getting different effects. Um, and that, that was one that I, I was really happy with. Um, and I don't know if you noticed, but boats are in my, a lot of my paintings and someone at the gallery today was talking about another artist and boats representing people. And I think a lot about, um, about, uh, boats are often in my work. And I think a lot about boats, sometimes reflecting, uh, representing people, people that have left our lives. Um, and also there's just something about being on a boat. And I, now I'm kind of like circling around, but, um, I I've become this big floater and this might go to mind shift. So I'm bringing, I'm bringing it full circle. I'm trying to, um, if you can follow the path. Um, so years ago, I, I wanted to learn how to float. I had read this book blue mind, and it was about, um, you know, the science behind being, um, on the water, near the water in the water and how, how it impacts us. I listen to it as on an audio and it talks a lot about floating and the effect on the nervous system. Um, and I hope I don't get any of the information wrong. I'm not a scientist or doctor. Um, but I was determined to try floating so that summer, and I had never been a good floater as a kid ever. And that summer, I, I just mastered floating and, you know, I could be busy all day, but run down to the water on a hot day at the end of the day and float in the water. And I think I realized to truly float, you literally have to stop trying completely, like it was amazing. And the sort of, for someone like me who was so distracted visually to sort of quiet all the senses and just still the mind, it it's been magical. And, um, so I think about boats and floating, and there is something, even though you're not in the water, when you're on a boat, you can get that sensation, that relaxation, that slowing down of our everything. So anyways, You may or may not know this, but the person who wrote that book actually is related to another Portland art gallery artist. Oh, really? Jill Hoy. Oh, I didn't know that next time you see Jill, you'll have to bring this up. I will. I've given away a lot of blue marbles in my life. Yeah. Well, it's, I mean, because that individual, and I wrote a story about this, that's why I know this. Oh, really? Cause I interviewed that person and um, it's always funny how kind of things come around in life? Oh yes, definitely. But I, I think you're not alone in this, this kind of acknowledgement that, that water and floating and kind of letting go is so important. Absolutely. And I think with technology, it's, we're never bored. We're never, we're never bored, so we don't have as much opportunity to wander or to be slow or , and, and we need it. And I think we're all, I think it's sort of why so many people have taken up art or, you know, seeking out meditation or yoga. We're just so stimulated in so many ways. And, um, I'm so painting is, can be that for me, which is, you know, another reason to paint every day. So, Well, I don't paint, but I still remember when I was growing up being on a raft in the middle of little Sebago and just looking up at the sky mm-hmm and I could do that for hours and hours and hours. Oh yeah. My brothers and sisters and I have many of them, they would be running around on the shore and they would require all kinds of attention from other older people. But I was in the middle of little, Sebago just looking up at the clouds and it really is magical. It really is. And there's nothing like it. And it, I don't know. It just makes you feel like, I mean, you're such a small part of this universe and to of just see the scope of the universe, when you look up the stars, I'm a huge stargazer and you know, you don't see those crazy comments or shooting stars if you're not looking up. So it's, um, it's, there's just so much wonder out there and delight and, and the glad practice. Now I'm circling back to that. It kind of, it kind of is a good daily reminder to be looking for the beauty, the natural wonders in the world that, that do bring us that sort of feeling of awe or just spark our imagination or whatever. So You also have water kind of running through your veins. Wasn't your father in the Navy? So my father was in the Navy for a short time. Uh, not a short time. He was in the Navy when he was younger. Uh, he was a, uh, a navigator for, I believe it was the first nuclear submarine. Um, and my grandfather, um, his father was the captain of, um, a ocean liner called the SS United States, which was, um, it did set a transatlantic record as being the fastest, I think us built ocean liner and it was when ocean liners were majestic. And, um, and he ended up being the Commodor of that fleet, uh, of the S the, the, um, um, the, the, the United States lines, which was, um, there were several ships and, um, and then he was also in the merchant Marines. And, um, so a lot of boats on that side. And, and, um, yeah, and I have, my oldest daughter was a coxswain for a rowing team in college. And, uh, and then my mom's family also grew up on a bay. Um, and, uh, there was some sailing going on there and so a lot of boats in the family. So, and, and I actually have been thinking about the SS United States a lot recently, my father passed away in may. And, uh, so I was helping go through a lot of his stuff and my grandfather's stuff that he had inherited and the SS United States, it was such a cool looking ship. I mean, and I've, I think when I was younger, maybe in middle school, he was sort of the family celebrity. I mean, he met so many incredible people, Grace Kelly and Elizabeth Taylor and Dwight de Eisenhower. And, um, but no one in the family was allowed to go on the ship because, you know, he, if the ship went down, he had to be captain. He couldn't be family member. So, um, but the, the ship I, I, when I was in middle school, I think I did a wood cut of an image from the ship. And it's definitely something that's, I've toyed with trying to do some paintings from the ship because it's, it's graphically and design wise just really cool. And it's such a history. Uh, it's a part of our history that, you know, is getting further back and, um, you know, it all changed with air travel. So it was back in the day when people traveled by ship. So it was, um, it's something that's definitely might, you might see some potential work in the future. So, but I also love old fishing boats too, and rowboats and sailboats. So I have a long list to paint. Lisa, I've got a lot of work to do in my future. Well, that's good. It gives us things to look forward to. I hope so. Yes. Yes, definitely. Me too. I mean, there's also something really metaphorical about boats. I mean, this idea that you do sometimes you have, um, fair season following winds. Did I say that correctly? Yes. And some days you have turbulence and you have hurricanes and you have, and just, you know, you're cling to the boat just to stay alive. Absolutely. Absolutely. And, um, and you know, they're all, they're all part of boating and the C was calm eventually and, you know, the storms pass and you're still afloat so it's, um, I think boats are definitely a symbol of resilience and rolling with it. One of my favorite books, um, was actually written, it's called first. You have to first, you have to row a little boat. Do you know that book? I Do. So that was written in the town that my mom grew up in VE port long island on great south bay. And there's so many great lessons in that book about life. And, you know, sometimes the fastest way to the other Harbor, isn't a straight line or, um, there's just so many good ones in there. And I think we can, we can all get a lot from that, those lessons, patience, perseverance, resilience, rolling with the waves, et cetera. So It also speaks to this sort of changeable nature of the sea that is represented even in the work that you do. Mm-hmm . So when you talk about putting 30 layers on canvas, I mean, that's, that is inherently the ocean. Totally, totally. And, um, I've been thinking a lot lately about layers and below the surface. And, um, backing up years ago when I was in college, I painted a lot of trees and a lot of big sailboats. I had been on some big boats when I was younger. I was on sailing team in high school. Um, not very good. Um, but, um, and I loved all the verticals of trees and sailboats when the boat was the main subject, but I knew I always wanted to paint the ocean and it was more of a challenge to paint, a simple, I call it simple. It's not simple sea and sky and make it interesting because there's no physical structure if you're just painting sea and sky. I mean, yes, there's some land in this one, but some of mine are just water and air and nothing else. And, um, I lost my train of thought again. Um, it's funny how that happens. Um, so I think, well, uh, well under the surface, that's what it was, you know, there's a lot under the surface of the water that can impact the action of the ocean or the surface. There can be, um, the surface of the water can be affected by shipwreck underneath about the change in the floor of the ocean. It can be affected by, um, weather patterns and wind and boat, traffic, and, um, storm fronts and all that. So I think, I don't know. I'm just, I'm, I'm I think a lot about it and I, I definitely it's, it's always something I'm exploring. There's so much deaths to the ocean and no two days alike are alike. And if you look at the water multiple times a day, it's never the same. So, um, and I love that. So, So it's interesting when, as I'm listening to this, that you're describing the importance for you, of being grounded, because you are dealing with such a lack of groundedness in your work. So it actually makes a lot of sense to me that you, you kind of need an anchor so that you can at least keep your boat there long enough to get something on the canvas. Yes, definitely. Definitely. And, and, and I think, um, you know, being, you know, I like, there's a lot of my paintings I think come across as happy and, and they feel joyful and there's some paintings I do that feel a little moodier or a little more stormy, and I'm a Pisces and we're very sensitive people. And, um, we take a lot in, and I try to honor my, my emotions and my feelings and not try to, you can't control the ocean. You can't control your emotions, but I think, um, it's another one of my favorite books, the untethered soul, have you read that one? You know, that was a life changing book for me too. Just sort of letting the emotions come through you as opposed to holding you back or, or keeping you stuck. So, um, yeah, so, So that's a slightly different thing where you're kind of allowing yourself to become one with the water as opposed to needing to anchor yourself. Definitely, Definitely. So's kind of all the phases, Maybe the, an, the anchors sort of, I mean, I think about it, there was a time period in my, um, this last year after my father had passed away and, um, there was a lot going on. Um, and I had to manage a lot, um, and it was right around the time I was moving and, um, some other big things, um, to help my mom. And, um, it was crazy. It was like the storm of the century, uh, the perfect storm where all three weather systems sort of came together. And in those cases, sometimes you do need anchor. Um, and sometimes you don't, if, if you know, there's a safe Harbor and you'll float the right way, but, um, I think it's sort of trusting those things when you need them. Um, so, Well, isn't that kind of very PIY way of approaching things as, as a fish. And I noticed you're, you're wearing, I believe Fish. Oh, yeah. Fish today, although it's fish bones. So I don't know, but maybe it's, um, and this, uh, I have a piece of, um, beach glass, and it's a bottle, uh, a ring from a, the top of a bottle. And I always say, this is kind of like my spirit piece. It kind of keeps it's just like my link to the ocean. And, um, my grandmother, my mom's mom was a, a big beach glass collector. And it was back in the day when there was a lot more beach glass out there. Um, and you know, so, and my mom's a huge beach goer and, you know, a lot of people call her the beach ladies. So I've had a lot of inspiration from her, uh, as well, so, and appreciating nature. So, Yeah. So it seems as though, even though theoretically, the idea of rootedness and groundedness in trees is a good thing for you. You probably won't ever be able to pull too far away from the water. N no, I think I, I think I need to, for me personally, I'm someone who does best with, um, rituals or practices. Like, I don't think I could ever be someone who just wanders around traveling, um, without a plan. I kind of, I like that maybe it's like being, we're going very nautical here. Maybe it's sort of like, you know, to go out in a boat, you have to have, you have to have some equipment with you and have to navigation, some navigation and some safety devices. And, and, um, unless you're just, you know, throw an anchor out right at shore and you're just floating in the boat and you don't really have to have a plan, but, you know, you have to kind of know, know the situation and, and, um, be prepared, but then go with the flow sometimes. So , Well, I've personally enjoyed having this conversation with you about, um, the ocean and all of the nautical themes. I often think of life as being extremely metaphorical. It's always about the story and how it comes back to you as an individual. And clearly you've spent a lot of time thinking about this as well. I do, I do sometimes. And yes, I do. And, and we all need the ocean sometimes, so we can stop thinking too. cuz we need that rest. Um, and I just wanna say, thank you so much to you for all you've done. Um, I've really enjoyed your interviews with other artists and uh, hearing other artists going through the stuff they've gone through. It makes me alone in my studio not feel so alone. And, um, it's, I really appreciate what you do and, and, and really what everyone at Portland art gallery does for us artists. They really, they really seem to care about our ability to float and sail and, you know, be anchored in storms and everything. So it's, um, it's really feels, it feels great. So thank you. Well, thank you. And it, and it truly is my pleasure. I enjoy getting to know people like you and you in particular. And I was really looking forward to having the chance to talk with you because I, I know you've had an interesting year and you're kind of, you've made it through to the other side to some extent. So I'm glad that you took this this time to come in and, and connect with me. Thank you, Lisa. Thank you so much. And um, I'm very lucky that I get to be here today. So thank you. I've been speaking with Portland art gallery, artist, Whitney Heavey. And I know that if you take the time to go to the Portland art gallery or the website, you'll really enjoy her pieces and particularly the ones that we've been talking about today. So I can't imagine they're gonna stay on the walls or on the, uh, website for too long. Thanks for coming in today. Thanks Lisa.