Michael Hepher

There are times when artists’ roles in our community, and in our society, feels a bit insignificant. The curse of our sensitive personalities is that we tend to see things that need changing—coupled with the curse of the desire to want to improve, grow and share what we learn—means there is a constant tension in our lives between what is, and what we think could be. As I stand at the easel, I’m often thinking about why I’m painting. What good is another mountain scene when there is war in Ukraine? How can I make things that help shift ideas and perspectives? How can I make my art relevant to the climate crisis?

As an artist I’ve attempted to make a career out of trying to make the world a more beautiful place. I understand that beauty is quite subjective, but my overarching goal is to treat the planet, and humanity, like I’m on a multi-decade hike—to leave the place better than I found it. It turns out that that is a more complicated task than I ever thought it would be.

As long as Michael can remember he’s been drawing. The tools are simple, inexpensive and portable which made it easy to practice through a variety of life’s stages. Drawing is an additive process, meaning you continue to add lines to something until it is a recognizable form. It’s like taking bits of clay and sticking them together lump by lump until your sculpture is finished. Drawing is a very handy, quick way of getting an idea down on paper. It’s familiar and predictable. It allows him to build worlds and ideas in a linear fashion. 

Last year I bought my first real camera; a lightly-used digital SLR. For years I had heard terms like ‘exposure’ and the ever-mysterious ‘f-stop,’ but they remained abstract concepts—the secret language used by photographers to work their magic.