Heather Jean Towns - 1947

Achieving her dream and being accepted to art school, was the true beginning for this girl who had been drawing since she was old enough to hold a piece of charcoal from the backyard incinerator and draw on the footpath. Much against her parents wishes, Heather was totally delighted to attend art school and everyday was better than the last.

After graduating she worked as a graphic designer and a few years later she set up her own studio. Operating under the business name of Value Added Design, Heather was able to provide for herself and her two children.

Throughout the next 30 years Heather was still driven with the need to create her own images just for herself, not meeting other's desires or commercial application. So she continued to paint, design and create anything that she needed or spirited her mind and hands.

But Heather was haunted by a vision she had when she was 7 years old, laying on her back on freshly cut grass and watching the clouds. She dreamt of tropical islands, of smiling faces and palm trees, unaware of the destiny that was to guide her to some of her happiest times. An unknown force guided her to tropical climates where she found true smiles with local people in these distant places. Fiji was on the agenda, and became the place where dreams came true. Heather had a beautiful bure on the beach in a village on the island of Waya in Fiji. Never had she been so happy and this was reflected in the images and style that is now Heathers' trade mark.

Zulu, as she is know to many, works with flat graphic images and uses a beautiful French acrylic paint that retains it's magnificent rich pigments. This style of painting comes from a love and study of American Indian, African, Aboriginal and Islander art. She paints her images in a form of layers and chooses to forget perspective, preferring to let the art stay free spirited. Heather sees life as patterns and rhythms of colour and shape. In the last 10 years she has taken this style into tapestry and also now onto fabrics. Lino cutting and printing is now bringing to life some of the ideas she had in the print room at art school.

Heather's work is about celebrating life, celebrating learning, celebrating different cultures, and about always being open to look at things differently. About the search for happiness through creating fun with images, music, dance, taste and colour. Always wanting to try something new, Heather continues to study, is a regular participant at life drawing and a painter at Artback every year.

Travelling often, Heather's inspiration is fueled in places such as, Fiji, Mexico, Jamaica, Africa, Zanzibar, Dubai, Egypt, Turkey and Morocco. The next adventure will hopefully be heading off to the isolation and magic of Easter Island.

'Great minds think differently'
- Heather Towns

Previous showings

1950's   Entrant in general Art shows
1960's   Selling folio pieces from art school
1984      Williamstown Art Gallery
1995      Morland City Council
1998      Surrey Hills, open studio exhibition
2000      St Kilda, solo exhibition
2001      Guadalajara, Mexico
2002      Surrey Hills, open studio exhibition
2002      Yalobi, Fiji
2003      Gallery Ten Eleven, solo exhibition
2005      She Exhibition
2006      Solo Exhibition, Dandenong Gallery
2007      9x4 Exhibition, Dandenong
2009      Artback Gallery, Wentworth
2009      Carma Cohuna Fashion Parade 2009
2010      Carma Cohuna Costume Fashion Parade June 2010

Heather's art is almost solely a study of patterns, whether it be the landscape or figures. She has the ability to see past all the many shapes and break her images down into a series of flat repeat patterns or shapes.

This view is highly suited to her love of bright fresh colors and particularly suitable for lino and woods cuts. Heather has run master classes for AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association) in lino cutting and print making. Her next exhibition will hopefully feature her new works of multi layered lino cut prints and screen printing.

Life drawing is a major part of Heather's continuing practice and study of techniques and mediums but mostly basic drawing skills.

Heather is one of the ARTBACK group of artists and continues to paint with this professional group. She is a member of the Victorian Artists Society and is an exhibitor in their exhibitions.

Zulu's background as a graphic designer and producer of corporate events and exhibitions has kept her abreast of new images, client's needs and commercial realism; this in turn helps her in her life as a working artist.

Heather Towns, nicknamed Zulu, has been painting and designing all her life and as recently as 9 years ago, started dancing.

Besotted by life's patterns and rhythms, she had difficulty finding movements, sounds and visuals that fitted the images that were hanging like a shadow in her soul....until she discovered belly dancing.

Then, her interest was stimulated by tribal belly dance...there it was, the patterns, the spirit of the earth, the layers of world music, the chance to turn her work, that had been locked on canvas, into a 3D rainbow of patterns, sounds and movement.

Zulu has never really wanted to 'Perform'. Everything for her has been about the creative journey. Now dancing, especially performing has given her a new perspective in presenting her art and has enabled her to include dancing at her latest exhibition. Much admired for doing things differently, Zulu has managed to take visual art and dance together in her life. Besotted with the idea of even more layers of pattern and color makes costume designing one of her favorite pastimes as well as another piece of art.

As age creeps up, Zulu has discovered the underlying true gift of belly dancing, the physical fitness and healthy body that comes from the dancing which she hopes will help her age with a straight spine, clear mind and dignity.

Zulu has two children and yes even some grandchildren who call her Tia Ala. She celebrates her 63rd year on this earth in 2010. She still can't believe she has been here that long, this time.

Heather/Zulu, has trained with many local and international teachers.
Locally -		Jewel Bellydance
		Seventh Veil
		Underbelly
Teachers -		Melusina
		Kelly Garland-Gobbi
		Fiona Stock
		Tamara Williams
International -		Morocco
		Keti Sharif
		Rachael Brice
		Paola
		And many more at workshops in Australia, Egypt and Northern Africa
Performs With -		Jewel Bellydance
		Womanjah Contempory Bellydance Troup

Heather loves to travel. She has lived in her own grass bure on a beach in Yalobi Village on Waya Island off the coast of Fiji, on and off for almost 20 years, where she has painted in bliss. She has traveled extensively, with her paints and camera to Africa, Mexico, Egypt, New York, Morocco, Zanzibar and many other places.

Heather has yet to discover Europe with only one short stay in London 2 years ago, at which time she worked and visited every gallery she could. However, Europe will have to wait as she plans her next trip which will be Easter Island and maybe South America, where she will go onto Mexico and stay with friends. Marrakech in Morocco has been a favorite and may even be on the agenda again soon. West Africa is another on the list....maybe Europe will have to wait.