If you were to close your eyes and someone were to utter the words ‘Daydream’, ‘Summer Surf’, ‘Drift’ and ‘Running Downwind’ to you, what images would you conjure up? Would they be of lazy ocean waves breaking and rolling in an endless flow, or would you see the vast sea spread out before you—perhaps a solitary catboat ahead in the distance with its sail spread out wide, taking its time to gracefully drift in with the sea breeze? These are the titles of paintings that artist Whitney Heavey has so skillfully brought to life—images of idyllic, picturesque scenes invoking the tranquility that she finds in nature. 

The artist, a Chatham resident, feels deeply that nature is her muse, “The New England landscape, the coast and the ocean in particular have always inspired me with their incredible variety of colors. I like to think of my paintings more as reflections of memories of time spent by the sea in nature.” Often using a soft palette of colors, Heavey paints mostly in oils from her studio, located in The 204 Cultural Arts Municipal Building in Harwich. She acknowleges, “Studio space is so important and with a smaller home that has minimal storage, I couldn’t do what I do at home. I’m so grateful to have a studio!” The 204 provides space to community members and visitors alike, allowing them to explore in a creative and nurturing environment.

During the summers, when her daughters were young, she found herself unable to spend as much time in the studio, and began a practice of carrying a sketchbook to the beach. Then later, when they were back in school, and she could return to the studio, the sketches served as the kindle that would ignite her work. She shares, “Even though my daughters are grown now, I still keep a sketchbook practice when we go to the beach on the summer weekends.” In addition to a sketchbook, Heavey finds taking volumes of pictures and even video helps transport her back to places where she gleans inspiration, whether in the everyday moments of walking her yellow lab, Millie, or being out on the water; “Time in nature is so vital to my work. Videos, more than photos, take me back in time, as I hear things like the wind and get a sense of the atmosphere—it restores my memory,” she divulges.

The artist works on several paintings at a time, not having a plan of how each one will look when complete, a process that keeps it exciting for her, she explains, “I start with a loose sketch directly with brushes, and thinned paint on the painting surface. From there I spend several weeks (or months!) layering the paint, often many layers, building up the surface with color and texture until the painting sings and feels finished.” With a variety of tools—she uses brushes, palette knives, scrapers and even her fingers—Heavey prefers to paint standing up with a canvas or panel hung on the wall in front of her, allowing her to step back and view the stages of her work through her artist’s critical and observant eye. She quips, “Just like the ocean, sometimes things change quickly and I try to just go with it.” 

Encouraged early in her pursuit of expression, she grew up watching her grandmother, an artist, and her own creative mother, which culminated in a memorable year studying in Florence, Italy. The sheer love she feels for her craft shines through not only in her beaming, contagious smile, but also in how she talks about her work. She confesses, “In recent years, I’ve realized that my work brings joy to those who view it and the feedback I receive as a result of that makes my heart full. We all relax when exposed to nature and the ocean and I hope my paintings bring that same feeling to those who view them.” 

Heavey’s work is shown on Cape Cod and all over New England. To see where she is currently exhibiting, or to schedule a studio visit in Harwich, please contact her online through her website, whitneyheavey.com.