Photo by John Ciambriello
Heather Ivins is an award-winning, self-taught, multidisciplinary artist based in South Florida. She primarily works in watercolor, ink, and colored pencil, and is most recognized for her photorealistic animal portraits, her loose and dreamy watercolors, and her bold resist paintings. Her love of play and experimentation is evident in her work, which not only varies in medium, but also in style and technique.
Ivins’ work is largely informed by her background in graphic design. Projects she’s worked on range from album art, to custom menu illustrations, to the rebranding of her county’s arts council. She has won a number of art competitions and has shown her work in several group exhibitions throughout the United States.
Ivins currently resides in Stuart, Florida, where she works as a freelance graphic designer and teaches art.
Selected Exhibitions
2025 Clay and Friends, RCK Gallery, Stuart, FL
2025 34rd Annual All Florida Juried Arts Show, MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2024 Hot Off the Easel!, The Bailey Art Gallery, Hobe Sound, FL
2024 33rd Annual All Florida Juried Arts Show, MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2022 Dog Days of Summer (and Other Pets too!), MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2022 Be Squared, MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2021 Stuart Then & Now, RCK Gallery, Stuart, FL
2021 100 Local Artists, RCK Gallery, Stuart, FL
2020 Members Showcase, MartinArts, Virtual Gallery Exhibit
2020 Illustrators Showcase, The Gilt Complex, Stuart, FL
2020 Window Art Competition Winners Showcase, The Gilt Complex, Stuart, FL
2020 Art All Night: Pittsburgh, Online Exhibit
2019 Grand Opening & Art Show, Orion Turtle, Hobe Sound, FL
2019 Court Room Sessions III (Artist’s Alley), Stuart, FL
2019 ArtsFest, MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2018 Four-Person Show, Ground Floor Farm, Stuart, FL
2018 Art of the Heirloom curated by Hudson Valley Seed Company, The National Heirloom
Expo, Santa Rosa, CA
2017 Single Fare 4, New York, NY
Awards
2025 Winner, The Gilt Complex Window Art Competition, The Gilt Complex, Stuart, FL
2024 Honorable Mention, 33rd Annual All Florida Juried Arts Show, MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2020 Winner, Crescent Artists Tiny Art Challenge
2020 Winner, The Gilt Complex Window Art Competition, The Gilt Complex, Stuart, FL
Professional Experience
1993–Present • Graphic Designer & Illustrator, Stuart, FL; Boston, MA; New York, NY
2024–Present • Private Art Teacher, Stuart, FL
2022–Present • Art Teacher, The Well Treasure Coast, Stuart, FL
2015–16 • Art Teacher, The Art Room, Brooklyn, NY
Professional Service
2025 Volunteer, Market on Main, Stuart Main Street, Stuart, FL
2024–25 Volunteer, MartinArts, Stuart, FL
2020–22 Founding Board Member, The Creek District of Arts & Entertainment, Stuart, FL
Press
Hill, Tori "Artist Profiles: Heather Ivins," MartinArts Magazine, Summer/Fall 2024. p. 12
"Creative Scene, 33rd Annual All Florida Juried Art Show," MartinArts Magazine, Summer/Fall 2024. p. 40
Marx, Linda "Ones to Watch, The Dream Team: Heather Ivins and John Ciambriello," Stuart Magazine, September 2022. p. 33
"Meet Heather Ivins: Graphic Designer & Fine Artist – Artists & Creatives on Why They Pursued a Creative Career," Shoutout Miami, March 16, 2022
Janson, Karen, "Out with the Old, In with the New: Growing the Arts Together," MartinArts Magazine, Fall 2021–Winter 2022. p. 4
Holfelder, Jackie, "Artist Profiles: Heather Ivins," MartinArts Magazine, Fall 2020–Winter 2021. p. 39
Sherman, Skye, "Creating a Brand: The Duo Behind The Creek District Redesign," Stuart Magazine, July/August 2020. p. 20
McKinley, Liz, "Court Room Sessions Opening Night," Stuart Magazine, November 2019. p. 88