Tammy Heppner

“I like to create my own colors. I like creating different shades of red, blue, yellow, purple, pink, and green. Sometimes, I use colored pencils after I’ve painted to add another texture.” Arts Access artist Tammy Heppner was describing a technique used in one of her paintings, an elaborately named creation called “Frozen Icicles in the Mountains in Virginia Because It Was a Stormy Day”.

Tammy has a distinctive method of painting, creating a title before she begins creating the artwork. That determines what canvas, shapes, colors, and techniques she uses. The titles of Tammy’s paintings are usually very long, so when her pieces are exhibited, the title often has to be abbreviated. Her visual artwork has been featured at such venues as the Morris Museum, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and the Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ.

In addition to her painting, Tammy is also a prolific writer. Her first book, My Favorite Things, enables the reader to see the world through her eyes. Her writing has also been featured in Writes of Passage – A Collection of Prose by Arts Access Writers.

Tammy, says Arts Access Director Eileen Murray, “writes from the heart, and her love of family, friends, nature, and her faith shine through her words.”