CAMPUS POND POSTCARD BY VALERIE HEIM ARTISTRY

Valerie Heim - Capturing Light, Color, & Life

Born on the South Shore of Massachusetts, Valerie Heim has been drawn to art since childhood. She later moved to Cape Cod with her family, where she further honed her craft and gained recognition for her work. With a keen eye for color and light, she transforms everyday moments into vibrant pastel and oil paintings, specializing in portraits, animals, and landscapes.

Valerie studied at the Art Institute of Boston now Lesley College) and the Museum School of Fine Arts in Boston and Syracuse University, later honing her raft under Ruth Sanderson at the Illustrators Workshop in Northampton, Massachusetts. She has earned recognition for her work, including first place in graphics from the Cape Cod Art Association.

In the 1980s, she settled in the Amherst area, balancing her art with family, gardening, interior design, and a career at UMass. A devoted grandmother and animal lover, she draws inspiration from nature's textures, dramatic lighting, and the subtle beauty that many overlook. For Valerie, art is a meditative, transformative process - an escape, a source of strength, and a way to share the richness she sees in the world.

With a spirit of determination, faith, and creativity, she has embraced every chapter of life - including a stint as a bass guitarist in an all-girls rock band in the 1960s. Through her work, she hopes to inspire others to pause, look closer, and find color in the unexpected.