Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Donlan.
Hi Heather, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Hi! I’m Heather. I got my start as a fine portrait + commercial photographer over 25 years ago. Over the years my business grew to over 200+ curated photoshoots a year until 2020 when everything came to an abrupt halt. I realized very quickly that my business model had to change if I wanted to make rent each month. So, I took a chance and bought a used van, converted it into something I could live in for the summer, and took my dog on the road. That first summer we drove 4,000 miles, exploring and photographing, and from that trip, The Love Your Art Collection was created. Since that first year, I have dedicated my summers to living and working out of my van, exploring our beautiful world, and photographing along with way. The artwork ranges from small acrylic art blocks to large wall murals and is tailored for home and office decor. The Rock My Soul series is just one collection that I expand upon each year whereby I find and collect heart rocks from all over the country so that I can then photograph and make artwork with the rocks once home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
COVID was incredibly difficult for me as a portrait artist because I lost almost all my business overnight. Making beautiful portraits was just not a priority at that time. It was scary for me to try and reinvent my business after 20+ years. All I’ve known was working with people and I was forced to try and figure out other avenues to create sellable art. My children and I actually created a kindness card company at the very start of COVID to try and help promote kindness and compassion within out community as well try and help make ends meet.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Besides the new line of home decor, The Love Your Art Collection, I am also known for creating dramatic portraits for the Tutu Beautiful series. I work closely with teen and tween girls, empowering them through photography. I am in the process of creating a book from this body of work.
I am also very proud of the Rock My Soul collection, whereby I find and collect heart rocks from all over the world which I then photograph back here at my studio.
Lastly, my kids and I created a company called Kind Carded at the beginning of COVID because we felt like people were not connecting with one another. Kind Carded was our way of trying to remind those in the community how grateful we were for each and every one of them. These little cards of kindness and affirmations really helped support us until I could gain my financial footing again.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
My kids are incredibly supportive of me and have always encouraged me to pursue my artwork. It’s not easy being a single mom of 3, but they see the good, the bad, and the ugly of working as an artist, and never giving up on your dreams and knowing that they are watching me motivates me more than anything.
It also helps that I have a wonderful and supportive client base. They trust my creativity and eye, even when I throw outlandish ideas out to them, like photographing deep in the Everglades or in some other remote area of the country like Death Valley. I’ve been very fortunate in that way.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.loveyourart.com
- Instagram: @loveyourartshop @heatherdonlan @bekindcarded
- Other: www.heatherdonlan.com, www.kindcarded.com
Image Credits
©Heather Donlan
