Meet Heike Kuzminski | Artist & Illustrator

We had the good fortune of connecting with Heike Kuzminski and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Heike, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I have always been interested in art and design. Drawing and painting has been a hobby of mine ever since I was a child. After graduation, I pursued a degree in Applied Design and worked as an Interior designer for about 8 years. I took a step back when my husband and I decided to start a family and I stayed home to raise both my boys. Once they were both school aged, I found I had more free time to work on creative projects. I missed being creative so much. I started watercolor painting, and I was hooked. I found myself wanting to spend time painting every day. To advance my skills, I took a couple of watercolor classes at my local art center, and then with some encouragement, I started sharing my paintings on social media. After a little while, people started asking me if they could buy my paintings or if I would paint a commission. That’s when I decided to start my online Etsy shop and sell my work. During this time, I did consider going back to work as a designer, but I realized that my priorities had shifted. Working as I designer, I had reached a point in my career, where I no longer spent as much time on the creative work. The further I advanced, the less time I spent doing what I liked most. I wanted more flexibility in my days. Having my own business would allow me to stay at home with my kids, do what I loved doing every day, and help contribute financially. It’s not easy and I still have a ton to learn, but I’m excited to see where it goes.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a watercolor artist and illustrator. I have a deep love of exploring nature and being outside. Many of my paintings are inspired by my fleeting interactions with tiny birds native to BC and Western North America. I try to express the joy these birds bring me by exaggerating and accentuating features that stand out to me. I try to make them unique and give them personality.

The thing I am most proud of or excited about is that I get to paint almost every day, stay home with my family and work on growing my business. Finding time to work and paint can be a challenge, but I’m proud of the balance I’ve managed to achieve so far. I am also excited about pursuing other areas of illustration, like illustrating children’s picture books or licensing my work for products.

I’ve gotten to where I am now by trying to do little bit every day. Very slowly I’m advancing my painting skills, my Photoshop skills, and my business skills. I feel like I still have a long way to go on the business side. But I’m proud of the art I’m making, the cards and prints I’ve produced, and how I’m slowly getting my work into stores and local galleries to grow my audience. I’m still evolving as an artist and I love that.

I think one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned, is managing my social media. Social media has been an amazing marketing tool and has allowed me to reach people all over the world with my artwork. I love that as a result of social media I have mailed my birds all around the globe. I love that there is such a wonderful community of artists cheering each other on and offering support and resources to one another. But social media also has its downsides, affecting my mental health in a negative way when I was getting too stressed over how many likes or followers I would get. It would make me feel anxious or down when a post didn’t perform well. It’s taken some time, but I’ve gotten better at separating myself from the numbers and realizing when I need to take breaks.

What do I want the world to know? The best is yet to come!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I live in Coquitlam, British Columbia, which is about 45 minutes east of Vancouver on the west coast of Canada. We moved here to raise our boys close to family, but also to be close to all the amazing outdoor recreation. We are surrounded by many beautiful lakes, parks, mountains and hiking trails and spend almost every weekend exploring the area. If my best friend was visiting for a week, one of our favorite things to do is take the kayaks and go for a paddle up the Indian Arm. The scenery is so beautiful. Another day would have to be spent hiking at Buntzen Lake. There is a lovely trail that loops the lake and another more challenging hike called Diez Vistas that has stunning views of the North Shore of Vancouver, Bedwell Bay, and the Indian Arm. For a more relaxing day, we could go for a swim or go stand-up paddleboarding at Sasamat Lake. The week wouldn’t be complete without some treats. A visit to Rocky Point Ice Cream in Port Moody is a must. Also close by are the shops at Newport Village, where we could browse my favorite independent bookstore, Coastal Bookstore, which also just happens to carry some of my artwork. The week wouldn’t be complete without going out for sushi. There are too many delicious sushi restaurants in the area to choose a favorite, which in my opinion, is a nice problem to have.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My friends and family have been very supportive of my art, but I would have to give my shoutout to my husband Matt for being the most supportive. He really encouraged me as an artist right from the start. He was the one who pushed me to start sharing my work online. I’m pretty sure it was him who set up my Instagram account for me because I was so nervous and hesitant to share my work. He’s helped me find time to paint during busy days and he’s always there for a quick pep talk for when I’m feeling frustrated or unsure about my paintings. I really feel I wouldn’t be here with my business without his guidance and support.

Website: www.heikekuzminski.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/heikekuzminski

Facebook: www.facebook.com/heikekuz

Other: www.etsy.com/ca/shop/HeikeKuzminski heikekuzminski@gmail.com