Heather Whiteside

About the Artist

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"Cherokee Country Club -12th Hole"
Commissioned Painting

Article featured in the Club's Newsletter dated, August 2011.

"Everything Knoxville Magazine"

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Everything Knoxville Magazine; "The Arts", by Wendy Jackson - July 2009

Heather Whiteside, One of the Area's Most Prolific and Active Artists: The cover of this month's edition of Everything Knoxville was created by artist Heather Whiteside. Her unique, contemporary-impressionistic style makes this painter's work instantly recognizable. Although she is a very accomplished still-life, figurative and landscape painter, she is best known for her urban cityscapes.

Whiteside's paintings are like a window into the heart of the city and she enjoys the challenges of capturing the dramatic light, shadows and reflections. "I look for structure in my compositions and I have a particular interest in architecture. I also like to include industrial elements in many of my paintings. My goal is to portray a realistic rendition of a town. I don't care to clean it up too much or make it too pretty. I like for the character, salt and substance to show through." As a result, her imagery evokes a sense of timeless nostalgia. Through her 20-year career, Whiteside has been featured in many distinguished exhibitions and galleries throughout the country and her paintings are displayed in art collections worldwide.

The California native inherited her creative gene and love of art from her parents. Her mother was a photographer and her father was an art dealer. Whiteside was born with a passion for painting. Deciding to become a freelance artist was a very natural choice for her. "I was fortunate to have taken formal art training at the Art Students League of New York and then at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art", said Whiteside. She relocated to the Knoxville area in search of a wholesome environment to raise her son, now 15, and has settled in as one of this area's more active and prolific artists.

Whiteside's more recent city scenes glow in the dark! Turn out the lights and watch the town light up at night. "It certainly has a 'wow' factor and it literally adds a whole new dimension to my painting", says Whiteside. "It's kind of funny. While I'm working, I inevitably get paint on myself and I end up looking like a glow-worm in the studio!"

Staying ahead of the curve, Whiteside has also begun painting city views on 100-year-old ceiling tins that were salvaged from a warehouse. Leaving the outer edges of these 2 x 4 foot tins exposed, she reveals the original metal patina creating a frame for the artwork. "I'm really excited about my new work and I love how it combines a piece of architecture with an architectural piece", says Whiteside.