Heather Burton is a traditional oil painter living in Northern Colorado with her husband and fellow painter Dave Santillanes and their two children Conner and Callie. 

Heather attended Syracuse University for design and after graduation became a graphic artist, web designer and developer. In 2006 she decided to go back to school for her master’s in Painting and Illustration, driven by a desire to show her son that he should pursue his passion. She attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. Since graduating in 2010 she has been teaching art and painting full time. Heather has always loved and been drawn to horses and other animals and in graduate school. She combined her love of painting with her love of horses and started focusing on painting horses in motion. Having grown up in upstate NY, she began painting thoroughbreds at Saratoga and upon moving to Maui, she transitioned to painting polo ponies. Heather met her husband, a fantastic Colorado artist in 2014 while he was in Maui for an art show. In 2015 Heather and her son moved to Colorado. She is excited to be living where beautiful landscapes, horses, and wildlife are abundant sources of inspiration. 

Her two amazing, unique, and beautiful children are also a constant source of inspiration.

ARTIST STATEMENT

I paint the things that I love and inspire me. I have always been in awe of the beauty of the world and the people and animals in it. Connecting to others, nature and capturing the moments that inspire me is what I strive to share in my paintings. Whether a landscape, still life, figure, or animal I want to express the emotional response that has been stirred in me, hopefully evoking a personal response in the viewer.

Bold Brush 1st Place Award July 2024 : The Farrier

Bold Brush Award July 2023 for Unbroken

Honorable Mention Oil Painters of America Spring Show 2023 for Steady