Hide Away for Another Day
40 x 30
Acrylic and Gold Leaf on Birch Panel
Heather Shirin’s paintings are quiet and reflective portraits of women with other women. The mixed media portraits, mostly large-scale, are painted on deep birch wood panels. Shirin purposely allows the natural beauty of the wood grain to shine through in the skin tones of her female figures. Various fine art papers are used to depict clothing, and elements such as gold leaf and metallic paint give the pieces a highly reflective appearance. Intricate designs add texture and depth to the works, creating modern portraits in a style that is reminiscent of Art Nouveau period pieces.
“I am interested in the relationships that women have with other women - the closeness between sisters, mothers, lovers and best friends,” Shirin says.“I capture the vulnerability, strength and romance that women share when together – using materials that define their beauty and presence…”
Shirin currently resides in Asheville, NC, where she exhibits at several art galleries and teaches Art Nouveau portraiture and mixed media art classes. She received a B.F.A. in oil painting from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and she has studied design at the Museum School of Fine Arts, Boston. Her exhibition history includes NY, MA, PA, NC and now GA. She is a juried member of the National Association of Women Artists.