Artist's Statement
Elements of everyday life have been important in my work since I started creating. I find that when I am looking at a subject, I want to be able to get as close as possible, so as to emphasize the beauty of what I am seeing. I make art because I want everyone to have the opportunity to appreciate the simple moments in life- a child making a silly face, or the softness of a rose petal. I want to be able to crawl into the moment and create a story to share with the viewer.
I choose my material based on the feeling I want the viewer to experience. When I use watercolor, I want the viewer to feel like this is a delicate, intimate moment with the artwork. When I choose to use oil paintings, it is for a larger, bold statement that cannot be ignored. My subjects are chosen based on a storyline that emerges in the time spent conceptualizing the artwork, and continues as I work out the details on the canvas or paper.
Most recently, I have been trying to preserve memories through art. The bouquet of flowers that my daughter just had to have from the store became one subject, goofy faces of my children are caught and now used as a reminder of the fun we always try to have, while the rubber ducky that the kids play with in the bathtub is a subtle reminder of my grandmother, and even gets worked into my nautical themed artwork. My artwork is memory of time, preserved through imagery. My hope is that it evokes smiles and warmth, and perhaps a reminder of the memories that bring joy to the viewer.
Biography
For much of her life, Heidi Tournoux has created art of some type. Encouraged by her grandmother, Heidi could be found with a sketchbook and graphite pencils at nearly every family gathering, as a sulky teen in her room with her drawing materials, and just working on drawing the world around her, and even drawing worlds far away. With one of her mentors being Jane Goodall, Heidi could be found pouring over various National Geographic magazines, copying images of chimpanzees and people, and just studying life in its various forms.
As she grew older, Heidi took a huge leap of faith, and moved away from her hometown of Canton, Ohio to Ellensburg, Washington. She applied and was accepted into the William O. Douglas Honors College, and pursued a bachelor of arts in art, and a bachelor of arts in psychology- rationalizing that both fields could be fulfilling opportunities. However, the real purpose of going to Central Washington University was to pursue the opportunity to volunteer at the Chimpanzee and Human Communication Institute (CHCI), which fulfilled her childhood passion of working with chimpanzees, and this was a sanctuary that valued humans as well as our non-human primate cousins. With her art background, Heidi was able to use her drawing skills to illustrate an elementary school curriculum based on the lives of the 5 chimpanzees living at CHCI, and how children can have a key role in helping to conserve the environment starting in their own backyard.
As an art student at Central, Heidi was introduced to oil painting and watercolor, in addition to strengthening her skills in drawing. In fact, it was in the painting studio senior year when Heidi noticed two other students from her psychology classes in the painting studio. When asked why they were taking painting classes, these ladies introduced Heidi to the concept of art therapy, and on the other side of the mountains in Seattle was a new program for art therapy at Antioch University. Knowing how easy it was to get lost in painting and drawing, and that it brought such clarity and relief to have the experience of creating, Heidi knew it was her path to pursue the graduate degree in art therapy, and was accepted into the Master of Arts in psychology program at Antioch University Seattle, with a specialization in Child, Couple, and Family Therapy, and Art Therapy. Through this program, Heidi gained a deeper understanding of the healing aspect of creating art, and continues to practice art therapy as a clinical supervisor of a non-profit art therapy organization in Fort Worth, and as a workshop facilitator through Heidi Tournoux Studios, in Mansfield, Texas.
After a few life changing events, Heidi has leaned into her practice of making art for her own emotional healing, but also with the intention that her artworks will make people smile. Whether she is creating larger than life florals or silly faced portraits, Heidi continues to look to nature as a source of inspiration. Sometimes there a little stories in the imagery, and you can bet that Heidi was smiling during this process, knowing that it will bring joy to the viewer.
