Forty Stories, I-III 2008 Ink on paper, 30 x 22 inches each Title taken from a line written by Paul Merchant, in response to an earlier series of ink flow drawings.
Heather Watkins’ work explores the nature and possibilities of the drawn line – materially and symbolically. Working with ink, cord, thread, cloth, and paper, she submits these materials to many cycles of saturation, compression, intertwining, and transference. Her work takes many forms: sculpture, drawing, text-based work, printmaking, and artist’s books.
Watkins' work has been shown in numerous exhibitions regionally and nationally, most recently at PDX Contemporary Art, Portland, OR; the Portland Art Museum, Portland, OR; the lumber room, Portland, OR; and The Art Gym, Marylhurst, OR. Her work is held in collections that include the Portland Art Museum, the Miller Meigs Collection, the Regional Arts and Culture Council’s Portable Works Collection, the Collection of Jordan D. Schnitzer, and Rhode Island School of Design Artist’s Book Collection. She has been the recipient of grants from Oregon Arts Commission, The Ford Family Foundation, and Regional Arts & Culture Council. Watkins holds an MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. She is represented by PDX Contemporary Art.
