Heather Shore is both an artist and art educator in Northern Illinois. Although Heather is versed in a variety of media and techniques, her primary focus while earning her Bachelor's Degree in Art Education from Northern Illinois University was painting. She continued working and painting with both acrylics and oils after college but it wasn't until 2001 that she found just how she could best utilize her skills.
"I began using my skills as a painter shortly after the tragedies on September 11th, 2001. I, like so many other people, felt helpless and out of control but I knew I had to do something with the emotions that I was having a hard time expressing. I couldn't go to New York and help with clean-up and I couldn't help the men and women locally with the tough job they do everyday but I knew that I could do something important, I could show them support. Although my husband shields me from much of what he has to deal with on a daily basis as a firefighter I know the statistics. I know that first responders deal with intense and emotional situations each day and I also know that family and the support of those that love them is crucial for them to do their jobs. So I did what I could; I began to paint murals. Originally I started small, creating a small 6'x8' mural for my husband's first fire station in Rock Falls, IL. Since then I have expanded and am happy to create murals as large as any station needs. I enjoy hearing about each station's histories and seeing the beautiful archive of images each department keeps. It is my pleasure to weave both archived images along with more recent images of their departments together to create murals that their departments can be proud of."