I grew up in Michigan along the edge of Lake St. Clair and in Germany on the banks of the Rhine. My parents were very creative people and I had the early good fortune of being around fascinating souls who understood and encouraged me. My father was the Chief Editorial Illustrator for The Detroit News and my mother was a writer, antique appraiser, and superb storyteller. I grew up in studios and watched and learned. I did my first plein air painting with my father in Maine. I was five. He had the patience of a saint.

Not surprisingly, my interests ran in two directions, painting and writing. I obtained a BFA in Fine Arts and English Literature and an MFA in Creative Writing and Poetry. After a career in Advertising as a Writer and Group Creative Director for three major agencies—painting won! I left a successful career to paint—and I have never looked back. 

It was a defining moment and one I am so glad I took. I studied with some of the best pastellists in the world. I worked diligently on my own. 

Being a painter is a wonderful thing and in my world, everything revolves around painting in some way.  If I’m not working in the field or in the studio, I’m thinking about painting, writing about painting, or dreaming about future paintings. I love great museums and schedule them into every vacation. It is truly a magnificent obsession. 

Today, my approach is considered direct and expressive and I hope to think—sensitive as well.  I am drawn to scenes that offer up a strong initial impression/emotional response and then I approach each creation in a way that feels right. I try to stay open to fresh ways of realizing a scene and still rely on years of acquired technical skill and discovery. It might seem contradictory, but I believe that both approaches, and particularly a mixture of them often allow for fresh, strong responses and expressions. I always strive to stay away from anything too ‘rote’. There is never a finish line in this beautiful endeavor. I take chances and always go in the direction of “what if” instead of playing it safe. I lean on music (mostly classical or jazz) to add depth and poetry to my work. All those beautiful passages I studied in literature often find voice in pastel or painted as well. One thing influences and informs another. 

Heidi is an award-winning Master Pastellist, who has developed a unique teaching system that promotes a logical and emotionally sensitive approach to painting. Her work has been shown in many museums, including the National Arts Club in New York, The Desert Caballeros Western Museum in Wickenburg, Arizona, the Butler Institute of Arts in Youngstown, Ohio, and The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Heidi's work has also been featured in many publications. The Pastel Journal, Plein Air Magazine, Art of the West, and Art of the Southwest are just a few. She received her BFA from Albion College in Painting and Printmaking and MFA from Wayne State University. 

EXHIBITIONS

PUBLICATIONS, LECTURES and DEMONSTRATIONS

RECENT JUROR VENUES

EDUCATION

I had an early education from my father, William Amenda, who was the chief editorial portrait and courtroom illustrator for the Detroit News.

PUBLICATIONS

Former Group Creative Director at Saatchi & Saatchi and Young & Rubicam Advertising. I left the commercial world to become a Plein Air Painter, yet my time at the agencies taught me some important aspects of design. My creative work has been published in the following:

The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Scientific American, Harper's, The Atlantic Monthly, Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Frankfurter Allgemeiner, Time, Le Monde, Vanity Fair and most national and international radio and television markets. I created the first joint venture film (Jeep) between the United States and China.

COLLECTIONS

My paintings are in numerous private, hospital, corporate, and university collections in the United States and Europe.