About

No images may be reproduced for any reason without written permission from the artist.

Copyright © Melissa L. Heitkamp

Artist Statement:

The natural environment is my constant source of inspiration. I am fascinated by light-absorption, reflection, shadow, and the illuminating effects of objects in silhouette.  A bouquet of flowers in silloute will have fiery rays shooting out from the blooms like the rim in a solar eclipse.

Early in school I heard about the Japanese painters that only paint an object when they have captured the spirit of the subject- the most difficult one being bamboo. This has just stayed rent free in my brain for about 40 years. Whatever I am painting, I try to capture its spirit, and this almost always involves absolute economy of brush stroke or simplification of objects their essence as much as possible.

Light, essence, spirit.

Melissa L. Heitkamp

Juried Exhibitions:

  • Richland Arts Festival 2017
  • Montgomery County Arts Commission 2010-2012
  • Eastside Artist Galler, Federick, MD 2010-2012
  • Kaleidoscope Art Show, Carrboro, NC January 2007-March, 2007
  • Orange County, NC Arts Tour, November 2006, 2005
  • Arts in the Meadow, Chapel Hill, NC, September 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003
  • Centerfest, Durham, NC, September 2006, 2005, 2004
  • Artsplosure!, Raleigh, NC,  May, 2006, 2005
  • “Through Women’s Eyes by Women’s Hands,”  North Carolina Women’s Art Show, Chapel Hill, NC, February 2006
  • Rosenzweig Museum Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Durham, NC, December 2005
  • University of North Carolina Women’s Hospital Gallery, Chapel Hill, NC, August 2005
  • Carrboro Arts Center, Carrboro, NC, September 2004
  • Chapel Hill Public Arts Commission, Solo Exhibition, Chapel Hill, NC, Feb-March, 2004
  • Fine Arts League of Cary Juried Art Exhibition, Cary, NC, April 2003
  • Durham Art Guild Juried Exhibition, Durham, NC, November 2002-January 2003
  • Page Walker Arts and History Center Main Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Cary, NC April-May 2002.

Commercial Spaces:

  • Foundry Gallery, Washington, DC 2010-2012
  • Hillsborough Gallery of Art, Hillsborough, NC
  • Sky Art Gallery, Pinehurst, NC, December 2006-January, 2007
  • Art and Soul Gallery, Mebane, NC January-March 2007
  • North Carolina Crafts Gallery, Solo Exhibition, Carrboro, NC, October 2006
  • Art source Gallery, Raleigh, NC  2002-2004
  • Craven Allen Gallery, Durham, NC 2006-2008
  • Eno River Gallery, Hillsborough, NC 2006-2008

Alternative Spaces:

  • Saladelia Cafe, Durham, NC,  March-August 2005
  • Hairspray, Chapel Hill, NC,  2004-2006
  • University of North Carolina School of Medicine Gallery October 2005
  • Four Square Restaurant, Durham, NC, 2002-2004
  • Annie’s Trattoria, Solo Exhibit, Chapel Hill, NC,  August 2002-July  2003
  • Café Driade, Solo Exhibit, Chapel Hill, NC, December  2002-January  2003
  • Durham Art Guild Annual Members Exhibition, Durham, NC,  July-August  2002
  • Weaver Street Market, Carborro, NC, May  2002
  • Salon 135, Solo Exhibit, Chapel Hill, NC, Feb-March 2002
  • Works of the Heart, Raleigh, North Carolina,  April-May  1999

Major Purchases:

  • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill via the Eno Gallery in Hillsborough, NC.

Biography:

Melissa L. Heitkamp (Miller) began painting professionally while living in Chapel Hill, NC from the mid 1990’s-2008. She exhibited widely throughout the area in both juried exhibitions and commercial galleries. She gained inspiration from the abundance of wide-open spaces in Orange County, NC as well as the Eno River in Durham, NC. Melissa achieved regional recognition for painting abandoned farmhouses which were plentiful in the areas surrounding Chapel Hill. Developing loose wide brush strokes that easily filled large canvases in the colorist style, she has sold hundreds of paintings.

In 2008, Melissa moved to DC, exhibiting at a juried show in Montgomery County Maryland and DuPont Circle in Washington DC. She also exhibited at the Eastside Artist’s Gallery in Frederick, MD. Melissa moved to Washington state in 2017, exhibiting in Richland, WA in 2018 and most recently, at the Ridgefield Library via the Ridgefield Art Association.

Currently, Melissa paints out of her studio in Ridgefield, WA and has recently shifted focus to filling canvases with vibrant floral paintings. Working from life in both oils and acrylics as well as mixed media Melissa applies her style of loose, bold, large brush work to the amazing flora of the Pacific Northwest.