These two colored pencil drawings were created during my visiting artist residency at Great Smoky Mountains National Park during the Summer of 2020. This residency was unique because it occurred during a pandemic. I was fortunate to be able to drive to Great Smoky Mountains National Park to collect photo references, and then draw and paint from my studio in New York. The drawings each feature an animal, an insect, a manmade structure, and a plant found in the park. The circular background and varied orientations represent the cohesive and continued interactions between these elements.
Heather Heckel is an artist and educator living in New York. She uses oil paint and colored pencils to create realistic portraits, still lifes, and landscapes. She strives to capture a likeness while demonstrating an emotional connection with her subjects. Heckel’s artwork is in several national permanent collections and has been exhibited internationally. She loves traveling, and during the past five years she has been awarded 13 artist residencies through the National Park Service. Heckel earned her BFA in Illustration from Ringling College of Art and Design, her MAT in Art Education from School of Visual Arts, and her MFA in Painting from Savannah College of Art and Design. She has taught public school art for the past eight years.