Enter the World of Heather Romano
Born and raised in the American Southwest (Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), Heather Romano currently resides in Winston Salem, North Carolina. She is a self-taught artist with a degree in English from New Mexico State University and a background in education. Her work draws inspiration from the sweeping desert landscape where she was raised and incorporates imagery from her new home and every experience she has had along the way.
Primarily a painter, she is most satisfied with her work when a piece pays homage to real people and the beauty of the natural world while imbibing both with a touch of the fantastic. Perhaps due to her study of literature, each painting she shares comes with a story, and she seeks to fill the canvas with beautiful details on par with the storybook illustrations that have charmed her since childhood.
Artist Statement
My artwork consists of real-world figures—self-portraits, loved ones, acquaintances, animals—depicted in a dreamlike atmosphere. Each piece explores an aspect of emotions, personal growth, and identity through archetypes and symbolism. The details of my work often include nods to the folk art of my home in the southwest and the highly illustrated storybooks of my youth. I like the idea of each of us as a character in the larger-than-life stories we read as children and pass down over generations: we tend to think of our lives as mundane, but all of our stories deserve to be told. Through painting as a visual storytelling medium, a sense of magnitude is conferred on the moments of our lives in which we grow and change. It is through this artistic memorialization and celebration of those universal experiences that I hope my work resonates with others. I want the subject matter in my work to call to mind the people, places, and experiences familiar to the viewer.