About the Artist
Painting became a form of healing — and a way to share a little light with others.
Terry Ann Hegglund
Impressionist Painter · Landscape · Floral · Still Life
Art has always been a part of my life.
For as long as I can remember, I have found joy in creating. Over the years, I painted mostly for family and friends, sharing pieces that came from my heart and finding happiness in giving something personal and handmade to the people I love.
About six years ago, after the passing of my father, something changed in my relationship with painting. I began to paint more often and more deeply. What had always been something I enjoyed became a place where I could process my emotions, find peace, and express things that were sometimes difficult to put into words.
Painting became a form of healing for me.
Through color, movement, flowers, landscapes, and still life, I discovered that I could take the emotions I was carrying and place them onto a canvas. There was something comforting about beginning with a blank canvas and allowing the painting to unfold. In those quiet moments, I could simply be present, breathe, and create.
After losing my mother about nine months ago, my need to create became even stronger. I have found myself painting almost constantly—not because I have to, but because it brings me comfort, joy, peace, and a sense of connection. Painting has become one of the ways I move through grief while still making room for beauty.
My work is primarily floral and still life, along with landscapes inspired by the beauty around me. I am drawn to soft colors, nature, light, and the feeling that a painting can carry an emotion or a memory.
Over the years, I have had the honor of submitting my artwork to several local events and contests, where some of my pieces have been recognized with awards. I have also had artwork selected for a Wyoming nonprofit project that creates greeting cards and stationery for people who are experiencing difficult and painful seasons in their lives. Knowing that something I created from my own heart might bring comfort to someone else is incredibly meaningful to me.
That is also the heart behind Arise and Shine Arts for the Soul.
Through my Calm and Create workshops, I hope to create a peaceful, welcoming space where women can step away from the busyness of life, relax, breathe, and simply enjoy the process of creating. There is no pressure to be an artist and no expectation that a painting has to be perfect. It is about the experience—the quiet, the colors, the music, the connection, and the freedom to let what is inside you find its way onto the canvas.
I believe there is something healing about creating with our hands and giving ourselves permission to slow down.
My hope is that the art I create, and the spaces I create for others, offer a little bit of the same peace and comfort that painting has given me.
“Art has helped me find light in some of my darkest moments. My greatest hope is that, through Arise and Shine Arts for the Soul, I can share that light with others.”