Aiken-based equine artist has found way to combine her loves

Gretchen Hash-Heffner has been able to combine her two lifelong passions - art and horses, and the native Pennsylvanian has made her presence felt during the past 4¬½ years in Aiken.

The artist graduated with a Bachelor of Science in art education from Kutztown University and attended the Pennsylvania School of Art and Design studying graphic design. A horsewoman who grew up competing in equitation and show hunter classes, Hash-Heffner later competed as an eventer and in dressage. She has been involved with horses since she was 2¬½ years old.

"I love all aspects of horses and art," she said.

Hash-Heffner was recently notified that she was among the juried artists selected to be an artist-in-residence at a South Carolina State Park and will do her weeklong residency at Barnwell State Park.

The subjects she paints, whether still life, seascape, landscape or portrait, are rich in suggestion and are a vehicle that express her moods and the depth of her emotions.

She teaches art to children and adults at the Aiken Center for the Arts and private lessons to young adults at her farm, where she lives with her husband, Louis Heffner, who is a certified equine dentist.

"The students I teach at the farm are usually between 15 and 18 years old," said Hash-Heffner. "They're progressing and developing as artists and want to become more refined."

Her images possess an incredible skill in perspective, and her portraits of horses and dogs portray a wonderful realism and energy. Hash-Heffner had worked in the public school system for several years before making the transition into the private sector working as a graphic artist and the art director for a magazine.

"For the past 10 years, I've been making my living selling and teaching art," said Hash-Heffner.

She works in a variety of media including watercolor, oil, acrylic, pen and ink and does some mixed-media pieces.

"I also do silverpoint," said Hash-Heffner.

She has continued to evolve as an artist and refined her style over the years. Her paintings feature exciting properties, and she possesses the ability to modify tones in the subtlest transitions from light to dark.

"When I was in college and in studio classes, we were supposed to develop our own style and define who we were as artists and how we were going to paint," said Hash-Heffner. "Unfortunately, the teachers that I had quelled all that, wanting their students to paint the way they did. It wasn't until about 10 years ago that I really found myself as an artist. I was trying to do what everybody else expected from me as an artist."

The artist loves Aiken not only because it's an equestrian-friendly area, but also because it's an artistic community.

"It doesn't matter what equestrian discipline you're involved in or what media you enjoy working in as an artist, everyone's accepted," said Hash-Heffner.

For more information about Hash-Heffner, visit gretchenhashheffner.com.

Contact Ben Baugh at bbaugh@aikenstandard.com.