Meet Heather Prall: Artist &. Chief Curator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heather Prall and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heather, why did you pursue a creative career?
I’m a corporate career survivor. After earning a Master’s Degree in Business and spending almost 14 years in Human Resources, it was time for a change. I never felt fulfilled in my HR career and after pursuing degrees and certifications that I felt would help to propel my success, I walked away from it all. I’ve always been a creative type. It all began with a painting class that I took around the age of 12. I entered an art contest where I won first prize. As time went on, art became my favorite elective in school from painting to pottery. When at home, I would doodle and sketch and even rearrange furniture and decor and developed and eye for interior design. When I graduated high school I didn’t have clear picture of where I wanted to go. But I knew what I loved and when I talked about pursuing interior design, the idea was quickly squashed by someone who I respected who once had a job in the career field. Although I took a different path with my initial career choice, I continued to be drawn to anything artistic. I would fit bits of it in where I could, but if was often difficult to find the time. Finally at the age of 36, I started to paint again. After leaving my career behind, taking some time to travel and going through an infertility battle, I found that my passion for creating artwork started to take over. Initially painting provided a much needed outlet for the grief and loneliness of miscarriage and an unsuccessful attempt to create the family I had always hoped for. I began pouring all of myself into my creations and soon after I had family and friends asking me to create custom pieces. I did a couple of art shows and continued to see that others found a connection to my work. Soon after I joined an art gallery. Then I created my own personal online gallery with a website. It was a long journey to get to a place where I had the confidence to pursue an artistic career. It’s an incredible place to be when you can make a living doing what you are passionate about. I’m grateful to be here.    

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I work with acrylics to create abstract artworks. I enjoy working with hard body acrylics when I want to hone artworks slowly over time. When I want more immediate gratification, I work with fluid acrylics. My inspiration comes from extensive travel and a deep appreciation for creativity expressed in all forms. I travel often by RV with my family, where we’ve been able to visit many unique places. We find that art is everywhere, and most often in places where you wouldn’t expect it. My artwork conveys emotion through movement and color. Since each piece of art is abstract and unique, every observer will see something different and connect in their own way. Each piece is an original and truly special in that it can never be recreated to be exactly the same. When I’m creating my artwork, each piece is a self-expression. It’s a way to communicate without words. I find that people are more responsive to artwork than words. It’s a way to really pull back the layers and show a more vulnerable part of yourself that people may not otherwise know about. The journey provided many challenges to getting here. I learned many important lessons along the way and likely appreciate where I am now more so because of it. If I could go back and give advice to my younger self, I would have so many things to share. I think the most important advice is to follow your intuition. If you find something that you love, have the confidence to pursue it. Don’t let others bring you down or make your decisions for you. There will always be challenges along the way, but it’s how you handle those hardships that will make the difference. My brand and my story are an important part of understanding my artworks. It’s significant to really get to the know the artist and their journey in addition to falling in love with an artwork. I believe when you fall in love with an artwork you’re also making a connection to the artist and their unique story.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If I had a best friend visiting the area I would take them to spend some time in downtown Denver. The Clyfford Still Museum is a favorite stop of mine. I enjoy eating at Somebody People, where they offer a vegetable forward dining experience. Nearby is the River North Art District (RiNo). This area is known for its colorful murals and contemporary art galleries. Just a walk through the streets here will provide an incredible view into the creativity of local artists here. Next up, would be the Denver Santa Fe Arts District. They host a First Friday Art Walk in this certified creative district. You’ll find over 30 galleries here among artist studios and other creative businesses.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My aunt Georgia Wiessner is an artist. She spent time teaching me some of her techniques when I was young.  She also helped me prepare my art with framing for the contest where I won 1st prize at the age of 12. My partner Joe Clark at Get the Gallery, for accepting me into his newly created art gallery business called Get the Gallery. Then providing me an opportunity to become the Chief Curator and Co-Founder of this unique business in Denver, CO that offers local original artworks for rent and sale. My friend and former co-worker Val Fennell, for connecting me with Joe Clark and for believing in me enough to recommend me as an artist to the gallery. My husband and daughter Craig and Stella for showing me their continued support in pursuing my career as an Artist, Chief Curator and Co-Founder.

Website: https://heatherprall.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heatherprallart/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heatherprall/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/prallh
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/heatherprallart/
Other: https://getthegallery.com/