Chaffee’s Artist of the Month
Whether it’s a family of moose in a snowy field, a peaceful cow with a sunlit backdrop, or a simple empty martini glass still holding olives – the calm cheeriness that characterizes artist Heather Cable’s work comes through in every every color she chooses. “Fun Art for All… With a Focus on Giving Back” is her mission, and she is the Chaffee’s Featured Artist of the Month.
“I started out primarily as a folk art painter,” Heather said. “I was inspired by people like Grandma Moses and I did a lot of landscapes. But over time I started getting more interested in abstract modern art, beach art, portraiture and pet portraits so I don’t really know that I’d call my art folk anymore. I don’t try to do just one type, I just do whatever I feel like doing, so now my style is a little bit more modern. It’s definitely evolved in terms of what inspires me and what catches my eye and makes me say to myself, I want to paint that.”
“I’ll definitely go through periods of time when I’m not really doing much and I’m just kind of subconsciously gathering ideas,” she said about her painting process. “But when I start up again I just start cranking them out. It’s very much dependent upon what I’m going through in my life I think.”
“Whenever I sit down to do something I have an idea of what I want to do but I don’t necessarily have an idea of what the finished product is going to look like,” she said. “Sometimes it’ll look like what I envisioned but other times completely different and I try really hard not to judge it. I kind of let it be and put it away for a few days and then look at it with a fresh set of eyes and say to myself, ok it’s not what I thought it was going to be, but it ends up usually being better. It’s fun when that happens.”
Her cards and stationery are one-of-a-kind, her paintings range from abstract florals to sunny beach scenes, and her Etsy shop is full of unique pieces at affordable prices. She’s also dedicated to giving back to our community – a portion of all proceeds are donated to several local and national charities.
Heather grew up on a horse farm in Connecticut and moved to Rutland 15 years ago with her husband. She’s a Registered Nurse with Bayada Hospice in her day job, and is coming up on her year anniversary as a Chaffee member.
“They were having a call to artists and I’ve sold stuff privately and done craft shows and things like that but with a gallery setting, I was a little afraid to make that leap,” she said. “But I finally decided to last fall and I hope to continue because I really found a great group of artists and supporters through the Chaffee.”
To learn more, see and purchase work, visit the Chaffee Art Center at 16 South Main Street, and Heather’s website at www.purpleheartartvermont.com
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