Emily Heinzel

Contact

http://www.heinzelstudios.com

Email Member

Biography

My drawings embody my love of the textures, patterns and colors of tropical plants. By zooming into a scene, I can study rhythm, movement and color while creating a feeling of strength and permanence in my subject matter. I layer pencil color over color until the wood panels are so completely covered with pencil, many think they are paintings. I work on wood because I believe it's the ideal texture for working with and blending colored pencils and leads. I want the viewer to get lost in my drawings to the point that they are more interested in the power of the patterning, color groupings and movement than the plant types themselves.

I grew up in Merritt Island, Florida surrounded by the same lush tropical plants that I now draw. After getting my bachelor's degree in geology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, I turned to fine arts. I studied drawing, painting and color theory at the Atlanta College of Art. Using these diverse backgrounds, I made a career of cutting opal and hand-fabricating high-end jewelry for nearly twelve years. As I was designing jewelry, I was also polishing my skills as a drawer. When I moved back to Florida with my family in 2010, I decided to fully explore my colored pencil drawings on wood while rediscovering the area's beautiful beachside flora.