Heidi Poché

Born in Utah and raised in both Utah and Washington. I moved to New Orleans in the early 90's. My affinity for mountainous terrain and the smell of red dirt kept a fire in my soul that by all accounts could have been extinguished by the messaging of the world I was born into.  The vibrant culture and community in New Orleans stirred up a boldness inside of me that gave a name to that fire. Art. For many years my art was more of a collaboration with individual clients vs. fully autonomous. The materials were dictated by location and placement. I worked predominantly with acrylic paints and reveled in the opportunities to work on large scale projects that required more scaffold than step stools. Encaustic was a reprieve at times, even though this ancient process can be unyielding and mercurial, I gave myself permission to explore the process and focus on smaller scale surfaces. Encaustic remains my preferred method of articulating ideas where I might otherwise stumble with words.  Painting is a practice, a physical exercise, to shed conformity and comparison. It’s my bid for connection.  Regardless of whether I’m promoting or criticizing, I choose vibrant colors, deliberate marks, and luminous texture as my delivery.  I am not always intent on persuading the viewer with my implied message. Sometimes, I simply paint an object or person that is representative of my pure delight in their expression or presence. 

Heidi Poché, Decorative Artist

Est. 1997

BA Fine Arts

University of New Orleans

A Studio in the Woods

New Orleans, LA

Former advisory board member

Woodlands Conservancy

New Orleans, LA

Former board member