Wild Horse Gallery

Artist Profile

Heide Presse

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Combining her interest in art, history, and needlework, Heide's paintings reveal many talents. Painting mid-19th century subjects allows her to indulge her fascination for period textiles and clothing, and to research the material culture of past eras. "Having chosen to depict the lives of the people who lived in the 19th century, I feel a strong responsibility to portray them as authentically as I can. Their voices fill my heart and imagination as I read their journals, written as they experienced first-hand the great migration westward. I want to open a window into their lives during a period of great change in our country. I feel that reading the words written by the emigrants, as they made their long journey day by day, is the best way to understand how they lived."

Born in Heidelberg, Germany, and raised in Louisiana, Heide currently lives in Tampa, Florida with her husband Jim. She has always had artistic talent, winning a best artist award in kindergarten, and earning her BFA in graphic design in Texas. After graduation, Heide worked in commercial art in northeast Texas, and eventually transitioned into fine art and painting. Her art has been featured in Art of the West, Western Art Collector, American Artist, The Artists Magazine, Tampa Bay Magazine, among others. Her work has been shown in many exhibitions and shows including, Quest for the West at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis, Indiana, Buffalo Bill Art Show and Sale at the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming, A Timeless Legacy: Women Artists of Glacier National Park at the Hockaday Museum of Art in Kalispell, Montana, American Miniatures, Settlers West Galleries in Tucson, Arizona, Small Works, Great Wonders at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Western Visions at the National Wildlife Museum in Jackson, Wyoming, History Meets the Arts in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, Arts for the Parks, in Jackson, Wyoming, among many others. Her work was published by the Greenwich Workshop, and is part of many private and public collections. She is a Master Signature member of American Women Artists.

Heide works from her home studio, alongside antiques of the 19th century. Period clothing and accessories fill another room in her home, which consists of some originals, but mostly accurate reproductions. In order to assure her subjects are dressed accurately for the era she paints, Heide has spent years researching and forming relationships with folks who do incredible historic interpretations. And, wanting to be able to dress models herself when needed, Heide buys authentic reproductions and spends a lot of her time learning about the era from historians, as well as, extensive researching, She also hones her own period sewing skills, and loves to create quilts, bonnets, and children's clothing in particular. "I like to have a sewing project at all times, and have made several quilts specifically to use in paintings. My art feeds my love of making things by hand, and I like that many of my paintings show my other creations". Heide also participated in living history events in order to understand how 19th century clothing should be worn.

"My natural artistic talent leads me to do work that has a strong narrative and fine detail. I am drawn to dramatic lighting and a rich color palette. My historic subjects are inspired by the voices of the 19th century...words written by their own hand in journals. There's no better way to step out of my own modern shoes, and enter into their world. My paintings are about real people."

Located Downtown at 802 Lincoln Avenue
PO Box 770879, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477
970-879-5515 or 970-819-2850
www.wildhorsegallery.com
wildhorsegallery@wildhorsegallery.com

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