Heidi Lewis Coleman

Heidi Lewis Coleman is a Connecticut artist, but she was born and raised in Yakima, a small farming town in Central Washington State.  The colors of the countryside were rich and warm, and the pictures she painted reflect that same earthy palette.

The artist spent several years in Seattle, a port city which has long been a major center for trade with the Far East. Asian design has become an intrinsic part of Seattle’s culture and has inspired many of the local artisans.  Coleman was particularly fascinated by the intricate calligraphy used to decorate ancient scrolls and screens – the columns of simple, yet elegant characters are imprinted in her memory and have influenced the primitive style of her abstract work.

Coleman creates mixed media pieces using acrylic paint and cut or shredded paper/silk on canvas.  Her most recent paintings and steel sculptures make up a body of work which she has entitled “Writing in Tongues.”  These pieces incorporate her own abstract writing, which is an invented, rhythmic language that flows automatically from her hand.  She has created a series of tone-on-tone pieces using the writing, some written vertically and some horizontally.  The strands of writing are painted on paper, cut out and then applied to a painted canvas.  The artist also includes computer-altered images of her own work in her assemblage pieces, further enhancing the technique.  More recently, Coleman has incorporated “Mandalas” into her paintings, circular forms which were originally used by Hindus and Buddhists as focal points for mediation.

When describing this body of work, Coleman says:

“For me, the language has an ancient, almost mystical quality.  I believe that because my artwork communicates in the abstract and can’t be read literally, individual viewers are not forced to translate it specifically, allowing them to ‘feel” it and take away their own unique messages on a subconscious level.”

Coleman studied art at Parsons and the New York School of Design.  She has exhibited in New York, Connecticut, California, Florida and many other states across the country.