Press Release Art Statement for IHuman

Never viewed by an audience, this first solo exhibit by Heather Deogracia uses a blind contour abstract technique or best described as figurative illustration carried out single ink line from beginning to end with her eyes closed. With over 50 images created during her free time (usually starting at 4 a.m.), her drawing addiction intent is to create entire stories from one image of line and color theory.

On the face of the front page of a Sunday Feature article of the Midland Daily News in October of last year, Heather Deogracia describes how art saved her from suicidal ideation and manic psychosis from her brain disease of bipolar. Deogracia earned a double major Bachelor of Science degree in Medical Illustration in Pre-Medicine and Fine Art from California State University in San Bernardino. Her professional career includes Award-Winning Graphic Layout and Design, International Art Director and a Continuity Director in Radio Broadcasting. Around the end of her twenties, she had the first manic episode of psychosis and was sent to a Psyche Ward and prescribed medicine by Psychiatrists. After over 10 visits to psyche wards and more medicine to keep track of, she had a very rough time to find a balance emotionally. Fortunately four years ago, the breakthrough of her lifetime occurred when she could concentrate on art material and found an addiction in producing Award-Winning Studio Fine Art. With over 30 displays of various realistic and abstract images in fundraisers, restaurant venues and art exhibits, she has the experience and material to present for a new audience. Her brand new abstract illustrations in IHuman is a chance for a viewer to witness that mental illness must not stop an individual from creative behavior even in times of depression and mania.

http://www.counterculturearts.org/

Yikes!  My very first stab at the solo exhibit scene and thrills me end that they love my abstract world is going to be out there for all walks to see.  The only thing freaking me out is how to price items, $70.99 for small and $190.99 for large.  Since the deadline is so close, I have been working it into my schedule which is NOT a pain to me all.  Here are just a small sample of what I have done in the first two weeks.  Enjoy and feel free to comment if there is one you like a lot.  Tah tah!

With two day notice I whipped these images out for display.  On one wall of my series named Smarty Girls (faces with scientific theory comin out of the head.  All the images came out of wood.  The bar tender liked them so off to a good start for this year…timing to sell these are slim an I do them to feel so tingly inside when they are all hanging.  I work from home so seeing them in an establishment is a thrill.  Below is the food they serve as well.  I’ve never eaten sushi so I might try soon.  This exhibit is for two months and really would like you to check the place out!  Very young hip and high end.

Much love for my boyfriend da Vinci:

I love those who can smile in trouble, who can gather strength from distress, and grow brave by reflection. ‘Tis the business of little minds to shrink, but they whose heart is firm, and whose conscience approves their conduct, will pursue their principles unto death.
Leonardo da Vinci
Reading. Writing.  Illustrating.

Reading a list of 200 books to read before you die.  Second week in and almost done with 10.  All of them have like blown my mind!  I study them as I read and really respect rich vocabulary lexicon, how important a “central” character takes place and how the plot is what it is.

It is like art, you can let it melt your chemicals and it hurts so good.  I thought I would be reading in my spare time but all I want to do is read, write and draw.  Crazy and in a safe way I must.

I took off a quarter of teaching workshops where I volunteer but kept my volunteer jobs teaching some elderly retired women on drawing and watercolor (*I draw them beforehand).

Did a huge Princess Illustration this morning…totally out of my head how I like it.  I’ve also been kicking down some abstracts for parts of the story.  Getting a copy editor very soon but she I on vaca for awhile.  Gives me a chance to cement the table of contents.

I promise to post new images that I draw in groups.  Just fell in love with watercolored pencils that I got for xmas.  Sooo in love.

Tah tah for now and wishing you a happy New Year!!

1Wow1.28.2018NEW.ResumewordPDF

Matthew found a slide projector to digital file machine…

I haven’t seen these slides for over 20 years.  I don’t remember doing half of them.  Enjoy and comment if you like images!!  This is my proudest achievement—a BRONZE uterus.

Play the fairy god-mother by creating your own make-over of “cinder” girl to the queen of the ball. Learn the basics of how to draw a female figure, costume design, and faces. Gems and glitter will be provided to aid in your princess’s transformation. Open to all ages! With artist Heather-Dawn Deogracia. / $20, all materials provided. / Please call 989 837 1885 to pre-register.

Hurray for moving forward in this world called the art enterprise.  Pretty sure this brochure would convince you to buy work and show to others about the realistic illustrations that I make.  There is the PDF file below if you ever need to print it out for yourself.  Any new art lovers would be great!

Brochure 5.19.2017

This is the newest outlet to put my drawings on or near your body…a percentage goes to Creative 360’s Art Shop that is ran for differently abled individuals located in Midland Michigan.  Give to a good cause!  Posted on Facebook today:

Allise Noble Hello! I actually manage the website where you can get these shirts with artwork on them, and we definitely do have kids size t-shirts and even baby onesies 😉. I am posting the link to this particular design as an example… you can see there are a variety of clothing styles available for each design, and even other fun products besides shirts.
In response to Tewodros Mekonnen Getachew Lady’s t-shirt what about youngsters??

Setting up my own store in the near future.  Wish me luck!

https://www.redbubble.com/people/artshopc360/portfolio?ref=carousel_portfolio

“Existence is a priceless gift and the beauties of nature are the priceless gifts of the existence!”

― Mehmet Murat ildan

This is when I died. I was 22 years old and survived a very narrow death in a head on car crash…the seatbelt saved my life. An elderly lady went over two lanes and pushed us to the sidewalk and then right up a telephone pole. Firemen rescued me with the jaws of life. Went to the ER where they showed me an xray of my lungs. One side was white and the other was black. The first rib of my back snapped and punctured my right lung. The performed an emergency chest tube and could drain the fluids so my lung could work again. The second image you see is my release of blood and the reason I came back to life. Doctors, firemen, police, attorney did not see how I lived through it.

At this time, I had an out of body experience and an angel appeared to me as my sight was from the ceiling looking down…this whisper came to me and told me “breathe heather, you need to return to your sister”, I could see my sister from this view as she was sleeping by my hospital bed. I thought it was all the medication I was taken that I have these memories. I came across these pictures in my art room and finally had the strength to share them without people telling me I was crazy. I switched out of my bipolar in the same snap right away three years ago, I felt like I was in college, double majoring in pre-med and fine art. I am drawing things that I would have never thought of and reading like water. My weight gain is the most confusing part of this story. I feel beautiful and lovely here right now. Guess I am embraced in my body and my mind is healthy. Art is my purpose on Earth so I am not going to stop. Like ever.

The art work above was created by my so bright, talented, art instructor Allise Noble.  We are like totally the same style with female subjects in surreal settings.  We made an ART TRADE.  She made the image above that I hung right above my desk at $225…the best part is that I was given free pass to make whatever I wanted to hang in her new house.  To make her laugh I said, “Do you mind topless figures?”  I made her laugh so hard she almost landed on the floor!!  She was like “hello heather, we are artists and whatever you make is art to me.”  Nothing like a free reminder to me sometimes.  I studied ummm, naked people in college for five years, bachelors in medical illustration.  So here we go with the “art trade”.

This art canvas was already covered in red when I made it.  I’ve never tried this technique or ever used a “topless subject” before…she is a female tree and every female I know are naked under their clothes and all have breasts in one shape or another.

Her backstory is as her trunk grow and hair grows taller, she realizing that she is getting old and away from the ground.  Did you know that hair is dead cells and that is why it is preserved so well after people perish?  Back to the story, head thinking faster then typing again.  The strawberries in the field were placed there to remind the juicy strawberries that grow every year are just as juicy and fruity as they were before.  Like a mix of what is old and what is young in our bodies.  Another fun fact I learned in college is that plant cells that wood makes is out of sugar.  A cherry tree and strawberries are made of the same matter.

The End.  Let me know if you like her!!

3-D Robot Art

With the right tools and imagination, take a flat image of fashion magazines and build it into a machine of destruction. Learn how to make armor, make elements increase in the height and personalize it with your own profile pics of your face. These robots have any age in mind and this is the perfect first time leap into the 3-D form. May 19th/$20

Angel Wings

With step-by-step instruction, angel wings start with easy to learn if you can draw triangles and straight lines. Learn the technique of how to add feathers, the stance of an open or closed pose and being realistic to how angels lift and land with their wings attached to the back of a figure. This challenging workshop will change the way you view and accomplish the entire angel drawing experience. June 9/$20

Cinderella: Before to After

This is the time you get to play the fairy god-mother by creating your own make-over of the poor “cinder” girl to the queen of the ball. Learn the basics of how to draw a female figure for before to after, do costume design, and ways to enhance her facial portrait changes by your own hands. This class will provide the glam sparkles, glitter and illustration skills for any age. June 23/$20