Case study feature | reception area

May 22, 2025

Thrilled to be included in this case study about a recent installation with Chicago Art Source.

Find the whole case study here.

From Studio to Skyline: New Work Headed to Hudson Yards

May 20, 2025

A new project is on its way to NYC for installation in an office space at Hudson Yards—exciting to see a piece head to this massive development in Manhattan.

When we began the design process, I explored a few abstracted “views” that layered the architecture of multiple Hudson Yards buildings. The idea was to find ways to abstract a number of HY buidlings into an energetic composition.

Ultimately, the client was drawn to a bold composition focused on HY50, one of the striking towers in the development.

With an abundance of natural light in the space, I was able to lean into some drama—incorporating black iridized glass that brings unexpected depth and shimmer. It's always a thrill to create something that captures the scale and complexity of the city, distilled into a more intimate, human-scale experience.

REFLECT 4.14 Planes + Facets 4’ x 3.5’ glass + concrete textures c Heather Hancock 2025

detail REFLECT 4.14 Planes + Facets 4’ x 3.5’ glass + concrete textures c Heather Hancock 2025

Based on all my research for this architectural feature piece I developed some companion compositions… smaller pieces that could support, echo and extend the bold feature piece.

1. RHYTHM studies

2. COLOR studies

3. BIOPHILIA studies

Headed to New Jersey: A New Installation for a Healing Space

May 20, 2025

An exciting new piece is getting packed up and shipped out—this time to a healthcare facility in New Jersey.

The project was designed for an elevator lobby in a newly constructed facility, with a goal of creating something clean-lined, contemporary, and grounded in a sense of place. The clients wanted the artwork to resonate with both staff and visitors, reflecting the familiar local topography in a calming, abstracted way.

VISTA: folded hills 3 @ 5’ x 2’ hand cut glass + concrete textures c Heather Hancock 2025

Inspired by the Suffern Bear Mountain Trail at Harriman State Park, the final piece captures the gentle rise and fall of the region’s low mountains through interconnected geometric forms. A soft, nature-based palette of blues and greens brings a feeling of calm, while a shimmering "river" of glass—sometimes stacked in lines, sometimes circling into a waterfall—adds movement and serenity to the composition.

detail VISTA: folded hills c Heather Hancock 2025

Can’t wait to see this one installed in its new home, where it will hopefully offer a moment of quiet reflection and connection.

And explored some ideas for companion compositions, maybe prints on brushed aluminum.

Resilient | contrasts in texture and reflectance

April 11, 2025

Quick sketches… shimmering glass inlay in layered greens set against light gray concrete textures. Lately, I’ve been revisiting ideas of biophilia—our deep-rooted connection to nature—and exploring how cities and the natural world are intertwined. Urban environments rely on nature for water management, air filtration, food production, and overall resilience. Inspired by authors like Ben Wilson (Urban Jungle), Emma Marris (Rambunctious Garden), and Thomas Rainer & Claudia West (Planting in a Post-Wild World), I’m continuously seeking visual ways to represent nature thriving within the engineered structures of our cities—the ultimate model of resilience.

Resilient 2.2 | glass inlay + concrete textures 20” x 20” c Heather Hancock 2025

And so many directions to go here. First ideas with grayscale and greens. Then what happens with blues or ambers. And could go all the way to pink/purples for a abstract wildflower idea.

Elemental | neutral tone-on-tone

March 11, 2025

Taking time in the studio to experiment with a new body of work: Elemental.

This series focuses on light neutrals, low-contrast palettes, and richly textured surfaces. Inspired by the quiet resilience of nature in urban spaces, the pieces feature dotted lines, abstracted text, and graphic foliage emerging from irregular backgrounds—creating a “vine on concrete” effect. The result is a subtle, minimalist visual language that brings texture, softness, and organic movement into clean, modern spaces.

Each piece offers a way to add visual interest and warmth without overwhelming a space—ideal for residential, hospitality, or wellness settings.

elemental 2 @ 20” x 20” glass inlay. + texture c Heather Hancock 2025

elemental 1.2 thrive 20” x 20” glass inlay. + texture c Heather Hancock 2025

elemental comp1 20” x 20” glass inlay. + texture c Heather Hancock 2025

elemental 1.3 bloom 20” x 20” glass inlay. + texture c Heather Hancock 2025

detail elemental 2 @ 20” x 20” glass inlay. + texture c Heather Hancock 2025

Feb sketching

February 21, 2025

Recently, I came across the striking 1970s brutalist architecture of Snowbird Resort, just outside Salt Lake City. Designed by architect Jack Smith, the buildings seamlessly echo the surrounding mountains and valleys, their bold angles and raw concrete forms blending with the rugged landscape—an incredible fusion of architecture and nature.

The moment I saw it, I envisioned an entire series exploring this dynamic interplay. Here’s a quick sketch of a possible composition—just the beginning of what could unfold.

sketch | winter mountain (inspired by Snow Bird resort) c Heather Hancock 2025

NYC FiDi | Steel + Light + Life

January 30, 2025

New gorgeous shimmery skyline project is headed for framing and then installation in a NYC financial district reception area.

Cities have a unique beauty. This work explores the dynamic interplay between the natural and urban worlds. Skyline views—crafted with creative license for a compelling composition—are focal points where architecture meets nature. Repetitive rhythms and textures of the built environment contrast with the organic diversity of the natural world. In the NYC Financial District, iconic skyscrapers rise alongside playful bursts of greenery, their presence magnified in shimmering reflections off the East River.

VISTA: NYC (Steel, Light + Life) 3@4' x 2.5' glass inlay + concrete c Heather Hancock 2025

detail of VISTA: NYC (Steel, Light + Life) 3@4' x 2.5' glass inlay + concrete c Heather Hancock 2025

Pieces shipped unframed and just received a snapshot of the framed installed pieces.

ENCODE | elevate

January 14, 2025

I love starting off the new year with work heading out the door.

These clients selected 2 existing pieces from the ENCODE series and commissioned a 3rd piece to create a client-specific installation. I re-worked my leaf design to create an abstract version of their logo. This was embossed with white textured concrete. An abstract version of one of the client’s mission words forms the structure of this composition.

ENCODE 3.43 elevate | 20” x 20” glass inlay with concrete textures c Heather Hancock 2025

Vibrant and light-catching glass is balanced with textured concrete, the perfect fusion of urban grit and refined minimalism.

ENCODE 3.43 elevate | 20” x 20” glass inlay with concrete textures c Heather Hancock 2025 photo credit Chicago Art Source

SCAN | customized for a business consulting firm

January 02, 2025

Shimmering glass and embossed textures transform data-inspired imagery into a dynamic, visually engaging installation. Client-specific content is woven into the design, creating a meaningful connection to the space. Iridized glass catches the light, shifting and glimmering as team members move up and down the stairs.

The pieces arrived ready-to-frame.

Scan 10.1 | 3 @ 4’ x 2’ | glass inlay + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

detail Scan 10.1 | 3 @ 4’ x 2’ | glass inlay + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

Scan 10.1 | 3 @ 4’ x 2’ | glass inlay + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024 photo credit Art Advisory

Flourish | urban wildflower

December 31, 2024

Loved getting to do a monochromatic wildflower piece for a residential setting/dining room.

urban wildlfower | 20” x 20” hand cut glass inlay with concrete textures c Heather Hancock 2024

Invited Design proposal | IDOT CDB Art-in-Architecture

December 17, 2024

It’s been a pleasure thinking about how to both celebrate IDOT’s past and future engineering innovations and play a role in traveler rest and restoration at a historic rest stop to be rebuilt near Springfield.

I proposed that biophilia was an important focus for this site, providing a nature-inspired palette and view for attentional re-set. “Connect” re-imagines the highway as providing a connection to the natural world. Remnant prairies found along (secondary) highways were foregrounded for a fresh vista of central IL.

Connect2A northbound 3@72”x30” concept for glass+concrete installation c Heather Hancock 2024

Connect2B southbound 3@72”x30” concept for glass+concrete installation c Heather Hancock 2024

Connect2c southbound 3@72”x30” concept for glass+concrete installation c Heather Hancock 2024

Philly inspired architectural installation | new ideas

December 12, 2024

REFLECT 4.13 distills the architecture of downtown Philadelphia into a four-part series, capturing the interplay of line, rhythm, and dimensional shifts. Layers of refracted light and urban textures create a dynamic visual experience, balancing abstraction with architectural precision. Each piece explores transitions—between structure and space, shadow and reflection—offering a fresh perspective on the built environment.

REFLECT 4.13 | each 30” x 30” | glass inlay with concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

REFLECT 4.13c refracted | 30” x 30” | glass inlay with concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

REFLECT 4.13d urban textures | 30” x 30” | glass inlay with concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

Available inventory | Dec 2024

December 10, 2024

These are small collages of city and nature, line and light. Fragments from the everyday: text and architecture, paint and texture, shimmer and foliage.

urban moments | each 20” x 20” | glass inlay with concrete textures c Heather Hancock

ENCODE 3.38 bloom | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

ENCODE 3.39 thrive | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

ENCODE 3.14 thrive | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

ENCODE 3.19 build | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

ENCODE 3.40 grow | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

REFLECT 6.3 | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

GROW 5.1 | 20” x 20 | glass inlay + concrete texture c Heather Hancock

My interest in the lines of architecture is ongoing. Borrowing from the material vocabulary of contemporary architecture these pieces are realized in shimmering glass and matte concrete to offer a fresh perspective.

REFLECT 1.55 | REFLECT 1.36 abstract mies | each 24”x24” | glass inlay with concrete texture c Heather Hancock

REFLECT 1.18 black grid | REFLECT 1.54 shadows | each 24”x24” | glass inlay with concrete texture c Heather Hancock

new architectural project ...history in the details

November 20, 2024

A new architectural installation is in progress, celebrating Denver's historic 1904 Evans School House and its Gothic Revival design. Vacant since the 1970s, the school is now being reimagined as a hub for dining, retail, and creative spaces alongside a modern residential tower.

Inspired by the building’s intricate brick and terra cotta details, the artwork captures its rich textures and craftsmanship. The pieces feature a refined palette of warm honey ambers, silver, black, and a touch of Denver’s blue sky. The installation includes two striking 4’ x 4’ panels and a complementary 2.5’ x 4’ piece, seamlessly connecting past and present within the new development.

The pieces were expedited for a fast ship by date with a 3 week turn around time. I’m looking forward to final pix of these installed.

History in the details | hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024
2 @ 4’ x 4’

History in the details | hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024
2.5’ x 4’

History in the details. REFLECT 4.12a 4’x 4’ | hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

History in the details. REFLECT 4.12b 2.5x 4’ | hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

History in the details. REFLECT 4.12c 4’x 4’ | hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

VISTA: forest + city

October 10, 2024

Ah. Love LOVE this crisp new skyline of midtown Atlanta from the pond at Piedmont (with some creative license taken of course). A colorful mural installed on the exterior of the client’s building is captured in a colored glass detail. The whole effect is crisp and fresh with buildings sketched in gray and silvery black, foliage in layered greens (lime, celadon and olive) and a shimmery reflection on the pond’s surface. The “avalanche white” background feels bright and light, very Atlanta.

The pieces are headed for installation in the lobby of a new construction multi-family building. Can’t wait for install pix!

VISTA: ATL | 3@40”x24” hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2024

detail | VISTA ATL c Heather Hancock 2024

lake michigan inspo

September 18, 2024

I always find inspo in Lake Michigan. Circling back to ideas for water imagery.

sketch graphic lake03 c Heather Hancock 2024

lake + prairie sketch4a c Heather Hancock 2024

lake + prairie sketch 5a c Heather Hancock 2024

OK. Loving this graphic approach. More to come.

summer inspo + sketching

September 09, 2024

Spring and summer travel included hiking in Colorado, exploring Palm Springs and Encinitas, wandering in Vancouver and a visit to Tofino on Vancouver Island. So much to think about…

sketch2 chesterman beach Tofino BC c Heather Hancock 2024

sketch 3 Tofino BC c Heather Hancock 2024

Other summer inspo and sketching that I’d love to explore further…

sketch: shoreline c Heather Hancock 2024

sketch lake + prairie c Heather Hancock 2024

sketch4 wildflowers crop1 c Heather Hancock 2024

watercolors…exploring palette and light, transitions and connections.

currently working on another skyline

August 27, 2024

Delighted to come back to another skyline project…this one features a crisp white background with grays+silvers alongside lush layered greens. A desaturated palette on silver gray background creates a graphic reflection off Piedmont pond on the bottom section. More soon.