The Heart Art Story

The story behind Heart Art Expressions

The journey in life, especially in creating, is rarely a straight line

The heart symbol is a universal symbol we all recognize no matter where we live. There are infinite ways to express love, joy, and the messages of the heart. Heart Art Expressions are just that—expressions of the heart through art infused with a unique intention for each one. What speaks to you may not resonate with another, and that’s the beauty of them.

There are ups and downs, redoes upon redoes. Lost parts found and found parts lost. Yet what is at the true essence of something remains.

The journey to Heart Art Expressions is no different. Only looking back can I see the threads of it woven throughout the tapestry of my life.

When I first began in business, it was October. The holidays would be soon coming. I had few resources and even fewer clients. I decided to hand make them holiday cards. (This was long before things like Canva or cost-effective color laser printing.)

For years afterwards, even as my business grew, I hand made holiday cards.

One year I painted multiple abstract paintings and cut them up. Each person received a small piece of art. The message on each card was: “Within each heart lies the gift of art. Create JOY + PEACE for all.” (Pictured are the remaining cards.)

Although the rest of the cards are long gone and the clients have changed, the intention has always been an inspiration to me. It has served as a reminder that even though people may not exhibit joy or peace or love, to themselves or others, buried within them are the seeds of joy, peace and love, no matter how dormant.

At the time I wanted to create larger abstracts, but found my heart was not connected to them.

One summer I bought these beautiful colorful beans from a local farmers market. They were so fresh; they glistened from the heat of the morning and having just been picked.

I went home and took photos of them and deep within me a voice whispered, “this, paint this.” However, it took to being diagnosed as celiac in 2007 that my relationship with fresh fruits and vegetables changed and I was open to painting “this”. I saw healthy food in a whole new light and found reverence for them that I hadn’t had before. The bean painting, called Summer Harvest, was the first painting of my food art in a more distinctive style, and received awards in art shows.

The food paintings are abstract in composition yet realistic in execution. My intention was to express the beauty and spirit of the food as works of art. That the light within them exists within all things. I would always say I paint the light, yet what people most remarked on were the shadows. While it is about the light, there would be no light without the shadows. True in life as it is in art.

Eventually things evolved into a kids’ cookbook and product line called Fun Foodie Friends, where fun is the first ingredient in helping you make friends with your fruits and vegetables.

But then there was a bend in the road and life took a detour. I had a near-death experience saving someone from drowning. (Read more about that here.)

My partnership with Fun Foodie Friends blew up, as well as many other things in my life, and for the most part, I put my paintbrush down to heal and deal with life.

During COVID, I felt inspired to paint a heart intuitively. Then another, and another—keeping a promise to myself to continue as long as my passion for painting them was there. And so, the Heart Art Expressions began to emerge.

Today, I’ve come full circle, returning to painting with renewed purpose. The intentions behind my art reflect the themes I explore with private clients and within my own journey. I’ve grown more comfortable and trusting in the process of intuitive painting, allowing each piece to emerge naturally. This approach infuses my work with a playful, whimsical energy while remaining deeply spiritual. Through it, I’ve discovered a joy that now flows more freely into both my art and my life.

My intention is for my art to serve as a beacon of love, healing, and inspiration. At its core, life is about love—or the absence of it. My hope is that we all choose love, always.

©2024 Elaine Callahan/True You Brand Alchemy. All Rights Reserved.