Page 20 - the Noise August 2016

heather kadar:
painting through the camera
by nikki charnstrom
with experience as a photojournalist, event, and corporate pho- tographer, Heather Kadar uses each of these pursuits to bring about her most recent foray into fine art. Doubling as a specialist with a paintbrush and having an eye for composition through the viewfinder, she combines both, as all of her paintings are based off an image she has captured at one point in time. With photography, she seeks out the perfect balance of light, then reflects it onto canvas with exacting precision.
Growing up in the suburbs of Pittsburgh, her earliest memories were bathed in nature. “Creatively it’s all about being in nature and seeing light. In summertime, the way you lay in the grass, look up in the trees, and the light is twinkling. It’s in feeling the warmth of the sun and seeing the way things grow out of nothing,” Ms. Kadar shares.
As a child, she watched her grandfather tend to his garden, and through witnessing the way he loved Mother Earth, she found her an- chor in life. From planting a seed to watering a flower, she had seen the cycle of life and found inspiration in it. This growth and change she compares to the creative process she harnesses while art making.
Over the years, the artist faced obstacles she was challenged to overcome, but now they transpire into her work. With the death of loved ones, she had to confront the grieving process and look within herself.
“In going through all of those difficult times in my life, I definitely went more inward, more introspective in finding out who I am and really playing on the idea of life and death. Death is not a finality, it’s just a transition,” Ms. Kadar says, “I feel my artwork has definitely tran- sitioned through those personal life experiences.”
Since moving to Arizona in 1996, her appreciation for the extreme landscapes blossomed into her artwork. Her inspiration stems from several places and things around the state: Grand Canyon, the San Francisco Peaks, the red rocks of Sedona, the raven feather on the forest floor, the mushroom growing in the shade of the ponderosa.
“The subtle colors of the desert are juxtaposed by the harshness of the plants. It’s quite magical for me,” Ms. Kadar explains.
As an artist in the industry for many years, the advice she offers to those just beginning is to have a cohesive body of work and to not be afraid to try new things. “Stay with it and follow your passion,” she says. A critical aspect of her business has been developing a solid website with sufficient content and quality design. She recommends if everything else fails, put it online and keep it updated.
Traveling through Europe, Japan and Peru opened her eyes to the truth of human nature in which we all want the same thing: shelter, food, and community support. Ms. Kadar strives to live her life with joy and simplicity, and reflects, “For me, art means living a vibrant, abundant life with freedom to express.”
Her most recent series, “Nature Mandala” and “Arizona Desert” will be on display throughout the month of August at Flagstaff’s Rooftop Solar, 16 East Route 66 #203, and the artist will be present during First Friday ArtWalk. For more information, PhotoLevo.com .
the Nöísẽ | the best of arizona | AUGUST 2016 {online at thenoise.us} • 18