Growing up a Navy brat in the high desert of northern Nevada, I found many reasons to immerse myself in art, music, and fantasy. My parents gave me a love of world history and mythology, a healthy dose of wanderlust, and a passion for exploration. From an early age I filled every scrap of drawing paper I could lay my hands on with cartoons and fantasy beasties of all shapes and sizes.

My mother was both an artist and a teacher, and this created interesting challenges. I wanted to draw like she did, not realizing in the blissful ignorance of youth that I lacked her training and technical skill at the time. I simply had a hunger to create, and that was all that mattered then.

Mom recognized my ambition, and opted for a hands-off approach when it came to instruction. She made her tools available, gave me a simple tutorial on how they were used, and then left me to play. Doing this taught me one of the most valuable lessons I've learned to date: understanding basic technique is essential, but there are some things you can only learn through experimentation. If you can't let go of the "safe" methods and test your wings now and then, you'll never know what you're truly capable of.

By the time I was 16, I thought I had a strong grasp of art (when you're 16, you pretty much believe you know everything). But then I spent a year in Sydney, Australia as a foreign exchange student, and my host father - also a graphic artist and professional sign painter - introduced me to the works of Frank Frazetta and Boris Vallejo. It was an epiphany.

After I returned to the US, I developed a love for comic books, and I began to collect titles specifically for the artists whose styles I admired, always looking for ways to incorporate that dynamic style of expression with the more 'realistic' styles I loved from artists like Vallejo and Frazetta. While my classmates filled their bedroom walls with posters of the latest celebrity heartthrob, I filled mine with homemade posters of my favorite action heroes.

I was introduced to role playing games during my senior year of high school, and with them a whole new venue for illustration: character portraits. Not only did they help me visualize my characters as I played, but they proved to be a fantastic way to practice my figure drawing - something I still do to this day!

For the last several years I've continued to experiment with new art styles, different mediums, different genres. My art is perpetually in evolution, with no one set style or content. My influences are wide and varied, and the list grows daily: art and artisans through the ages and from around the world. Music and dance. History, mythology, folktales and esoteric mystery. Modern SF / fantasy books and films. My friends and family - most notably a lifemate who reminds me daily what love and passion is truly about.

My strengths as an artist, and what I bring to the table as a freelancer, are my versatility, adaptability and a willingness to visualize the unconventional. I thrive on assignments that push and challenge me to try new techniques and see the world (or other worlds!) through altered perspectives. This studio is an evolving testament to that tradition, and I welcome you all to join me on my journey!

All images, graphics, and content on these pages are © 2005
Amy K. Brown / HeatherWind Designs
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED