Heidi Woodhead

“In my paintings I explore themes of love and lies, creation and nature, life and decay.

I ask, but do not quite answer, the existential questions that drive me to create.

Eleven years spent working as a forensic crime scene examiner has given me an eye for detail and an appreciation for the fleeting nature of beauty.

I aim to capture the exquisite when I paint and celebrate the little joys but I don’t shy away from the darkness, I embrace it, utilising it as a contrast to the colour and the light.

I am inspired by botanical and Vanitas paintings of the 17^th century; their lushness, playfulness, symbolism and sense of discovery. In some ways my paintings serve as a modern Vanitas but always with a touch of whimsy.”

– Heidi Woodhead