Artist Statement I think of my creative process as a journey.  I know that this journey began a long time ago.  I realize that I am a collector traveling through life picking up bits and pieces of memories, items, places, and people along the way.....all affecting my work and me. The materials that I use greatly influence the content of my work.  I am drawn to many different materials and enjoy exploring the unique characteristics of each.  I am not necessarily obedient to a material's intended use, and often find that when the boundaries are pushed, the best results occur.  As a result I consider myself a mixed media artist, always thinking through concepts first and then exploring many media and processes that lead to the completion of my ideas. I also realize that we store the important moments in our sub consciousness, all the information we need has already been gathered and stored along the journey.  I look for connections and similarities.  I integrate.  We all have certain things in common if we search hard enough or look closely.  How do we all connect? Biography Heidi Dauphin is an artist that moved to the Phoenix area with her husband and daughter in 2004. Heidi is originally from Michigan and has lived in three different cities there (Grand Rapids, Grosse Pointe, and Ann Arbor). She spent much of her childhood vacations camping and exploring the forests and shorelines of the Great Lake State. From a very early age, she learned to gather and collect many things that would later influence her artwork greatly.   Heidi graduated from the University of Michigan in 1992 with a BFA in ceramic sculpture. She then pursued a teacher certification program at Eastern Michigan University. Heidi then taught high school art for four years to grades 9 – 12 at Tecumseh High School in Tecumseh, Michigan. Heidi went back to school at the University of Michigan and received an MFA in ceramics and mixed media in 2001.  During grad school, Heidi shifted her focus to many different kinds of materials and became interested in the ideas of collection and multiples. Upon completion of her MFA, Heidi moved to Boston, Massachusetts and became the Exhibitions Director for the New Art Center in Newton, Massachusetts. Heidi ran all aspects of two galleries and directed 16 exhibitions in her three years there. She also directed a unique program called the Curatorial Opportunities Program, which gave artists the opportunity to curate their own exhibition.   Since her move to Arizona, Heidi is continuing to further her artistic career. She has been an Artist-in-Residence and/or Guest Artist at several Phoenix area schools. Heidi was also assisting artist, Nina Solomon, in her studio on various public art projects from 2005-2007. In 2008, Heidi and Nina became partners and continue to work on large-scale, ceramic mosaic, mural and sculpture public art projects in the Phoenix area.  Throughout her career, Heidi has been passionate about creating her own artwork, educating all ages in art, and making art accessible to all. Acknowledgements Sally Casper, photography of most of the work prior to 2002. Dwight Channer, website design.