About heatherrossnaturaleclectic

I am an artist, designer and photographer currently living in Vancouver, Canada. I have a Gallery/Boutique Heather Ross [ in house ] that is an evocative mix of natural elements, art, & unique finds. I am especially drawn to nature in all it's forms. My next endeavor is to create a book The Natural Eclectic™ about artful living & creating atmospheres of nuance & grace.

the world’s beauty…

Posted on April 27, 2013 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

A quote was sent to me by a talented young friend this morning. She asked of me do you think this is true? “At some point in life the world’s beauty becomes enough. You don’t need to photograph, paint or even remember it. It is enough. No record of it needs to be kept and you don’t need someone to share it with or tell it to. When that happens – that letting go – you let go because you can” (Toni Morrison)

I do. Yet it is a letting go I doubt I will ever achieve.

I seem compelled to capture, record, paint, photograph, write. I suspect it comes from a desire to be and feel connected, communicate. SHARE indeed. There’ve been moments when I’ve witnessed such great impromptu moment of beauty, magical scenes of wilderness and wild creatures, dramatic stormy sweeps of a sky and recognized my inability to just be in the moment of this experience if I’m without my camera. I’m sure many other photographers suffer this same dilemma.

Armed with iphones now this happens less frequently, as we are busy documenting everything from the mundane to the miraculous. As I took this image on Instagram the other evening my partner remarked our walks are even longer now that I am shooting, writing and posting as we meander.

How can I resist? It is both a blessing and curse to feel compelled to capture beauty all the time as I see it in the smallest of life’s gestures and most surprising of places.

Light moves across my boutique and forms delightful graphic shadows that call out to me.

A bunny rabbit scampers along a park…..can you spot it amongst the squares?

I wake in the morning and before I’ve even dressed for the day, and ‘SNAP’, there it is. A simple still life I created the night before has been immortalized forever. The next day all the petals fell. Life is fleeting and ever changing, but the image holds it there eternally. As in everything in life the challenge is to find the balance. Balance of being in the moment and experiencing what is around. Balance in just beholding the beauty. But as an artist I do want to paint, and write it. I want to tell it, share it. And yes, I want to remember it all….

All photos copyright Heather Ross 2013

Vernalis

Posted on April 8, 2013 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

Spring has arrived. All that lay dormant is coming to life again, and though I love grey as a color itself, I am so happy to see the fresh tones of spring come alive too.

This year I seem to be drawn to the citrusy tones of an easter palette…soft yellows, lively oranges, sharp fresh greens mixed with robins egg blue all come to mind.

My most recent painting was inspired by the the levity of winter weather lifting, heralded by abundant blossoms on the cherry trees and glorious magnolias our beautiful city is gifted with. Soft golden diffused light began seeping in, bringing warmth to everything that seemed cast underneath a cover of clouds for months. It is titled Vernalis as an homage to this vernal season.

Interestingly, others see an orchid in my painting. I was not my intent though I have been surrounding myself lately with pretty pastel tinted orchids. I can see now their bouncy lyrical forms dancing on my canvas.

We had an early start to spring in our fair city on coinciding with a rare March easter weekend. Tea was enjoyed outside with my sister, our friends children scampered for treats at easter egg hunts and the birds were all a flutter in the blossoming trees. Everyone seemed to get outside and take in the gift of sunshine.

I was given some precious little fragrant violets from an old fellows garden and so enjoyed planting them into pots on my patio. I love to get my hands into the earth and the first planting is always so exciting. It reminds that there is a season to all things. All the first surprise bulbs push through the ground I am delighted and amazed by the resiliency of nature ~ and so too am restored and inspired to continue on my path of cultivating beauty and creativity wherever, however I can.

All photographs copyright Heather Ross 2103

a sense of place and the art of placing

Posted on January 21, 2013 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

Three weeks into the new year we have settled peacefully into our new shop location at 2170 Fir Street Vancouver { between 6th & 5th ave }

It was quite the process! So many unanswered questions while we were on stand by waiting for final permits before we could make it our own. What products do we keep from our old space, what do we let go of? How will we find a place for all of our cherished items with our slightly smaller foot print? What mood do we want to convey? It was quite the process of solving practical design problems and spatial issues too.

How do we hide the ugly air conditioning?!? How do we create lovely built in looking shelving when none of the walls are straight?!?

Originally we were going to leave one wall as exposed raw plywood, as a nod to other exposed industrial elements in the space, but eventually we succumbed to peer pressure after too many people asked us how we were going to finish the wall!

So in my typically way, one day I just picked up a rag, opened a can of paint in my signature color of soft bluey green grey and mixed it with a chalky white right there on the wall. The result is a softly toned wall that has subtle nuances and yet does not compete with the painterly qualities of my own artwork.

I wondered how the space would flow, what to feature in the window, how people would find their way around to my layered tables at the back of the space, how will the light move through the day???

These were all questions and discoveries that would not be answered until I was actually in my new locale. It was a true lesson in culling, curating, creating. In the end I am thrilled with the result! By working within my soothing color schemes, grouping all the whites and glass together on the back walls, and leaving some quiet areas for the eye to pause, I managed to make the 500 square foot space still feel spacious, airy and welcoming.

It is wonderful to watch new clientele experience the new boutique and discover my finds for the first time. They touch the soft woollen pillows as they step up into the front space.

They move between my front window display and my cool old long table covered with alluring objects. They pause, enquire, lift, fold. I’ve filled the space with white orchids and have lit candles daily to bring a peaceful clearing energy to the new space. Customers breathe in the fragrance, take in the art, peruse through cards and matted photos of my travels, look up to the high ceilings.

Express curiosity, appreciation and delight at quirky one off treasures and tactile finds I have collected along my travels.

After months and months of planning and envisioning, trouble shooting and sleepless nights, I feel redeemed and so content. In a few day my calling cards will finally arrive with my new logo colors of ‘driftwood tones’.

My shell and sand colored ribbons will arrive. All the final trimmings, the extra special details that complete my vision { the fun stuff! } You notice even the names of the colors I have chosen reflect my favorite natural oceanic elements.
We’ve been blessed with clear cool skies most days and have been greeted with rosy sunsets each evening, framed by our fabulous beams and our expansive windows, it is another unexpected delight, courtesy of mother nature.

All images Copyright Heather Ross shot on location at heather ross { natural eclectic } 2170 Fir Street Vancouver BC

natural eclectic ‘festive’

Posted on December 23, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

I love decorating for the holidays in a understated way, mixing sentimental old nostalgic treasures with natural elements. Some of my most cherished treasures are so simple, perhaps a little faded, not quite perfect, yet bring such joy when I behold them. They bring up the childhood memories, they speak to innocence, have a quaintness to them that I just adore. They seem to hold a resonance for all the hopes of holidays past and dreams of special moments still to be created…

I love the ooh ahh feeling of opening up papery boxes to reveal precious gems from seasons past. Vintage mercury glass ornaments are my absolute favorite and I have collected them for many years. I love their fragile delicate patina and their charming shapes.

Years ago one fall I was untwining an old vine that had clung to an arbor. I wound it off round and round my arm with the intention of tossing it with my garden clippings. Yet without intention, I had created a perfect delicate wreath!

So a few month later I tied some wide satin vintage ribbon at the top, and with a few gentle little hand stitches attached an old mercury glass ornament to the ribbon so that it was perfectly framed by the vine. The whole thing is featherlight, and I can secure to a door with just a pushpin!

Of course I am inspired by nature so love to bring in natural elements foraged from my own back yard, old berry branches, boughs, cones that have fallen on our patio.

I’ve always preferred just pure white or green florals in any setting, they are just so elegant. Fragrant greenery like flat seeded eucalyptus is lovely for the holidays and paper white narcissus are a favorite of mine. Each year I hope to force some bulbs in advance but never seem to do it in time so end up picking some potted ones. This year I have them displayed in simple burlap covered vases. White flowers, candlelight & the heady perfume of flowers set such a soothing tone any time of the year.

forest floor ornments heather roo

Ornaments of natural forms are so fitting for a tree too, though many years we have not had a tree at all and I have just displayed them in bowls or on branches, which is great for a small space. As you can see I even use birds nests & natural sea forms as containers for my treasures.

Soft homespun materials like wool felt are so inviting for the winter season. I love these wool felt spheres I found for my shop this year, they are in my favorite ethereal palette of blues and greens.

Antlers are such a wonderful natural form too, I search for ones that have naturally fallen from the deer in their seasonal shedding. with their undulating forms they are beautiful incorporated into a vignette any time of the year but especially fitting around the holidays.

When I say search for them most times I pick them up from antique dealers and collectors, but my dream would be to find some naturally fallen on a forest floor! I mix them with silvery mercury glass & hand crocheted garlands for that eclectic look I love of earthy mixed with a bit of metallic. I love their driftwood tones & each antler is like a unique sculpture.

Most importantly, wether you just light a candle, feast with friends, go all out with sparkle & lights for the holidays, it’s the feeling you create and the symbolic time you spend celebrating and connecting with whatever this season means to you and your loved ones that matters most.

I wish you all peace, joy, abundance, inspiration and love for the season and the new year ~ Heather

all images copyright Heather Ross 2012

autumnal textures

Posted on November 30, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

I’ve been meaning to write a post for so long! I’ve been immersed in life, work, getting ready for the holiday season in the shop, planning an upcoming move for a new boutique and doing a rebrand! On rare unscheduled days I’ve tried to connect with nature & get out in the world to restore myself, to find new treasures, to go harvesting, and to spend time with loved ones. My hands don’t feel like typing on a laptop ~ they are a little too tired from tying bows and snipping twine, folding, sorting, and lifting, scrubbing and shooting and placing and primping!

I’ve had a few wonderful day excursions with my sister Janet & my sweetheart Craig to historic Fort Langley. We were grateful to receive some bountiful earthly gifts from a lovely old farming fellow who lives remotely and grows all his own food. It was so exciting to see him pluck such glorious fruits from the ground and pass them into our hands. So I will just share some images from these days that show the best of the season so far…the autumnal glory, the wintry transition, and natural treasures found on lovely walks and leave the typing at that!

home { made }

Posted on October 22, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

This weekend we had the pleasure of staying at our friends home on the Sunshine Coast. We love the time we spend with artists Rob Studer and Beth Hawthorn at Roberts Creek.

Their home is a cool yet cozy convergence of rustic homestead meets groovy mid-century modern with homespun family projects on the go all the time.

What I love most about their place is that things are M A D E here. It feels alive. When I come here I want to cook with goods foraged from their garden, walk to their meadow to greet the welcoming deer, curl up with a book. Or pick up a ball of yarn and knit, relax and chat while I smell fresh bread dough rising.There is always compelling conversation and curiosity at play in this household.

Our city friends turned country folk have carved out a home and a life here that is in creative flux at all times. On their bucolic property they also built a majestically imposing glass studio built from salvaged saw mill materials. They are mindful of the footprint they are leaving on this land, and the legacy they are creating for their children.

Their children are encouraged to create and there is evidence of this all around. Scissors and glue, wool felt and wood, crayons and kraft paper. Both Leya and Marcel, much like their parents, enjoy working in many modes and mediums. Model making, felting, knitting, drawing, building.

Beehives, birds nests, bird skulls, and books abound. The home feels ‘engaged’.

Recently Marcel, just 6 years old, became fascinated with the making of primitive tools and with the help of his father crafted many beautiful hand made items using traditional methods. My partner, film maker Craig Anderl made this adorable video on the process.

While the home abounds with natural elements and texture, it also has minimal restraint, a graphic edge, a modern sensibility.

Rob works primarily in glass but also makes amazing installations with wood, metal, found objects. His work is greatly informed by his experiences with the natural environment. Beth works with ceramics, graphics and is also very hands on crafty with textiles. They have a company called This is it. We are grateful they open our home to us and allow us to get our fix of earth and sky and encounters with wild creatures. It in turn feeds our own creative process for when we return to the city.

All photos shot on location at the home of Rob & Beth by Heather Ross copy right 2012

Juxtaposition

Posted on October 14, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

I love the word juxtaposition. I like both how it sounds and what it means. The structure of the word itself is like a juxtaposition ~ ’juxta’ is kind of punchy and then ‘position’ rolls smoothly off the tongue. A whole chapter in my book will explore the theme of artfully juxtaposing objects and elements to create compelling groupings and vignettes.

In art design and music, the negative space of a composition is as important as the positive. As an editorial photographer I am always mindful of this, for graphics and words need a place to rest too. One needs to look at not just the forms, silhouettes, shapes etc of a grouping, but the spaces created between them. In Japanese this is called Ma.

If you imagine cutting a shape out of a piece of paper, you have the shape, but then you also have the rectangular sheet of paper left with the shape cut out…this is the Ma, the negative space. Ma is something to be experienced, like intervals in music. It is a pause for reflection, it is quiet space. For me, one of the most important aspects of striking the right note in the juxtaposition of things, is finding the Ma. I love to combine eclectic elements, rough with smooth, old with new, organic forms with linear etc. These combinations are tactile and intriguing.

But if just clumped together, grouped without a lyrical sense of vertical and horizontal direction, if not given room to breathe or if just placed all equidistant, the result can be boring, busy or confusing. With intuitive intent I push and pull and adjust my compositions until this perfect pause of space is formed.

This applies to my photographs and paintings as well. I want some tension, some areas that maybe even feel rough or slightly unbalanced, some areas that transition smoothly, gently, and then the magical space that invisibly holds it all together.

All styling & photos by Heather Ross

a day on my patio

Posted on September 22, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

The other week I had a rare quiet day off. I woke to sunlight glinting into my living room, bouncing off a tray of old bottles I had just arranged the night before. It compelled me to go to the cupboard and get out my camera. Not my iphone, my camera! With my beloved macro 60 lens on, I began to rediscover all the delightful textures, colors and forms on my patio. Within this 800 square foot radius I found so much material for inspiration!

The soft downy pile on a white moth that I never realized was actually rather blue till I saw the image later zoomed in. The fabulous patina on old industrial tables I am currently ‘storing’ on the deck. A honey bee found immersed in rosy sedum at my windowsill.

The aura glowing from old glass fish floats cradled in a decaying concrete bird bath.Undulating forms and lines of sea shells and stones that I have collected over my years of beach combing and grouped in containers on my patio.

A tattoo formed by the shadows of lacy foliage dancing across an antique chinese terra cotta vessel.

The cratered textures on a large old conch juxtaposed against the swirl of a vase.

These are the things that inspired me for the day, that immersed me in the beauty of nature and took me away from all my cares. The simplicity of organic forms, the allure of chalky, velvety, pebbled textures ~ the tones of oceans of meadows ~ the buzz of life in dreamy floaty creatures. The beautiful decay of objects left to integrate into an environment, taking on the weathered appearance of a shoreline. The macro majesty of life and materials in all forms. Amazing what one can find in a day on their patio, when they are really seeking to get lost, and found.

Foraging

Posted on August 28, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

One of my favorite things about summer is foraging. I always say it’s not summer unless I’ve swum in the ocean at least once and picked blackberries! It’s just so grounding to go down some trail or out into your own backyard & cull some fresh picked delights! I am fortunate enough to have community gardens one block from where I live. The gardens run along old abandoned railroad tracks and blackberry bushes thrive there.

Today was officially a ‘day off’ but started with meetings and that slightly tense feeling of just too much to get done. I was going to settle into some afternoon work on my patio but recognized a certain restlessness, a pull to get outside and unwind, take in the last days of warm sun. So I grabbed a container and meandered up the street { in sandals and a skirt, not exactly picking gear! } It was warm and sheltered, the grass was dry and golden, the air was sort of musty sweet and immediately I felt peaceful. I was grateful that I had known exactly what I needed, and took the time out for this simple satisfying pastime.

Picking requires, patience, persistence, perseverance. Not so different than antique picking actually! Looking for that firm yet ripe berry among the brambles is not unlike the hunt for a great find amongst rubble. Just yesterday I was out and about and got some great treasures. Most of them are still in my car though I can’t wait to go through them in detail as I bought them in such a flurry.

Here’s a peek at a few of the smaller items { including a great old Kodak darkroom clock and a sugar shaker from Montreal } tucked into a fabulous old weathered suitcase I found. I got a few old decorative doors that will be sanded down to show some of the glorious painted color underneath. Some of the finds will stay as is, but others will be converted for ‘added value’ so to speak. Same with the blackberries. I will stew them tonight into a warm sweet compote, sprinkle raw oats, brown sugar and some fresh grated nutmeg atop and eat them just like this.The raw oats soak up the hot juice and soften quickly, creating a simple lighter version of a blackberry crumble. Ah…these are the moments of summer to cherish.

process

Posted on August 19, 2012 by heatherrossnaturaleclectic

I’m busy these days with so many projects, of a few of which I can’t share quite just yet but wish I could! Meanwhile I feel such an urgency to get going on the actual book The Natural Eclectic, in fact I wish it was published already! When I opened up my shop over 11 years ago, it seemed a novelty to customers to discover birds nests, seashells, old bottles and papery boxes filled with tarnished vintage ornaments & the like in a ‘store’. I would explain my aesthetic, my love of nature, my attraction to old objects with patina and lustre, my roots in an artisan process where things were made lovingly by hand.

My style was not a reaction ‘against’ anything such as mass production, it was my authentic love of what I’d always been drawn to since I was young. Back then I recall how curious people were with the items used in my vignettes, which often at the time were just for my displays and not for sale. They seemed enchanted, yet tentative about what sort of role or place these sorts of objects could have in their home. Thus the idea for my book, and the name ‘The Natural Eclectic’ came along, a long time ago. Now this style seems to have been embraced by so many, in fact it feels like a movement. I am thrilled by this yet also feel that tug in my belly to get my book finished and share what I have to share before it seems commonplace! Ikeas new catalogue has styled it’s furnishings with old bottles & birds nests & tattered books hmmm. I suppose this is typical insecurities of any artist…will I have anything new to share, will people care, will it be meaningful, and matter and touch other’s lives? Friends reassure me I have something unique to share with my photos, my words, my styling, my ‘eye’ for things. Their encouragement is appreciated, so I must just get going! Meanwhile, so many other creative jobs are calling and interjecting distractions. A great problem to have indeed!

I have been taking advantage of some dry warm weather here and working outside on a few messy projects which has been wonderful. I can’t share the end results just yet, so I will just show the beads of sun and pools of paint. Magic in their own right.

heather ross { natural eclectic }

cultivating a life of elegance & authenticity

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