encode | create

July 12, 2023

Some sketching to see where ENCODE could go as larger collaged concepts…bringing together hand cut glass inlay, textures and paint. Circling back to a concept for an Art in Architecture submission…how to visually convey the excitement and energy around learning and discovery and innovation. Step 1.

studio portraits and vignettes with Tony Favarula

July 11, 2023

I had fun during a recent photo shoot with Tony Favarula. I need a studio portrait for an upcoming magazine feature (more soon!) so I scheduled a 1/2 day shoot with Tony. Lots of great images to update my website…and maybe I’ll finally get rolling again on insta?!

studio vignette | GROW5.1| photo credit T Favarula 2023

studio vignette | urbanVine in color 20”x20” | photo credit T Favarula 2023

and a couple BTS pix

Urban nature

July 11, 2023

A common theme in my artwork is nature's resilience and grit as it navigates the unyielding structures of the city. Urban weeds and vines, seemingly insignificant, co-opt concrete, brick, and metal as support systems and climbing structures. I find beauty in these unexpected encounters, where nature gracefully adapts to the urban setting.

Using the clean line aesthetic of the built world, recent work explores nature in city.

urbanVine 3.8 | hand cut glass + concrete + paint 20”x20” c Heather Hancock 2022

Nature and urban environments, often perceived as dichotomous, can be harmoniously intertwined. There is a quiet strength in nature's ability to persist and thrive amidst the hard urban environment, and I strive to celebrate this beauty.

urbanVine 3.9 | hand cut glass + concrete + paint 20”x20” c Heather Hancock 2022

urbanVine 3.10 | hand cut glass + concrete + paint 20”x20” c Heather Hancock 2022

glass wall01 | hand cut glass + concrete + paint 4’x1.5’ c Heather Hancock 2023

detail glass wall01 | hand cut glass + concrete + paint 4’x1.5’ c Heather Hancock 2023

Denver residential install | VISTA: CO

June 14, 2023

Denver install is complete. Work from VISTA, REFLECT and PEAK series is all installed. And new work (glasswall01) is hanging in an exterior location on the roof deck. Connecting with both the interior architecture of the space and the broader context of city and mountains, these pieces all fit seamlessly into the property.

VISTA: CO 2@44”x24” hand cut glass inlay + paint c Heather Hancock 2023 residential Denver installation

I was thrilled to find this composition “in the wild” when we hiked near Boulder on Chautauqua/OSMP trails last weekend.

VISTA: CO 2@44”x24” hand cut glass inlay + paint c Heather Hancock 2023 residential Denver installation. photo cred: Nate Polta

Denver residential install | Glass Wall 01

June 11, 2023

Super happy to have a reason to make an outdoor piece. This ‘glass wall’ concept will bring year-round color and interest to this roof deck off the 3rd floor office and stairwell.

glass wall01 | photo cred: Nate Polta 2023

Denver residential install: glass wall01

June 07, 2023

One final piece will be installed once the final details on the roof deck are complete. This playful piece is my version of a ‘living wall’ with glass. Simple shapes flow around a trellis grid.

This piece can be seen from inside the space and is a way to bring no-maintenance color and interest to this fabulous private roof deck (with a little glimpse of mountains!).

Denver residential install | PEAK

June 06, 2023

Climbing the stairs, two abstracted mountain views come into focus.

PEAK 2@20” x 20” hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2022 Denver residential installation

PEAK 2.3 20”x 20” c Heather Hancock 2023

Denver residential install | REFLECT

June 06, 2023

A minimalist REFLECT works as both architecture and mountain form at the bottom on the stairs.

REFLECT 30” x 20” hand cut glass+concrete c Heather Hancock 2023 Denver residential installation

Denver residential install | aluminum prints ENCODE

June 05, 2023

And, aluminum prints bring a pop of interest and shine to bathrooms.

2nd floor bathroom | encode ACT aluminum prints 12”x12’ c Heather Hancock

1st floor powder room | encode BLOOM + AIM aluminum prints 12”x12’ c Heather Hancock

1st floor powder room | aluminum prints c Heather Hancock

glass wall 01 | bring the indoors outside

May 09, 2023

I’ve been watching for an opportunity to do an exterior piece. This super cute 3rd floor deck in a Denver townhome with a teency glimpse of mountains is the perfect spot. The 3rd floor wraps around the deck with patio doors on 2 sides creating a courtyard feeling. Adding an art piece means year-round color and shimmer outdoors…and indoors.

I’ve always been obsessed with living walls. I’m guessing they are tricky to maintain in our northern climates. So how about a super graphic, playful version in glass using layered greens and lots of iridized glass to bring in a variety of hues.

glass wall 01 4’x1.5’ | hand cut glass, concrete + paint c Heather Hancocl 2023

rendering | glass wall 01 4’x1.5’ c H Hancock 2023

Glass is so so happy outside. Natural light optimizes shimmer. This ‘glass wall’ is going to bring some no-maintenance year-round color and shimmer. Can’t wait to see it installed.

abstractions | monumental shapes

May 09, 2023

This highly abstracted architectural piece is headed to the Denver townhome. I’ve always suspected that the monumental verticality of the architectural pieces are my midwest substitute for mountains. Love the idea of this abstracted architectural piece making a direct connection with mountainscapes.

REFLECT 6.6 minimal | 30”x20” hand cut glass + concrete c Heather Hancock 2023

rendering | REFLECT 6.6 | new construction townhome Denver, CO

new VISTA using Colorado imagery

April 30, 2023

Case Study: VISTA – LupinVISTA: CO

Project Overview

This diptych, created for a new construction townhome in Colorado, captures the beauty of the region’s wildflowers and mountains through shimmering glass. Measuring 44” x 24” each, the panels provide a striking yet intimate connection to the natural landscape just minutes away from Denver.

Design Inspiration

The artwork draws inspiration from the immersive perspective of wildflower viewing—where one must get low to the ground to truly appreciate the delicate blooms set against the vastness of the mountains. The composition highlights lupin in iridescent violet, with vibrant pops of orange and amber wildflowers bringing warmth and movement to the minimalist mountainscape. This interplay of color and form creates a visually rich experience that shifts with changing light.

Material & Execution

Crafted in shimmering glass, the panels utilize an anodized aluminum edge and an integrated metal cleat for a sleek, ready-to-hang presentation. The reflective quality of the glass enhances the depth and luminosity of the piece, making the wildflowers and landscape feel dynamic and ever-changing. Completed within a 10-day turnaround, the project showcases the efficiency and precision of the process without compromising on artistic impact.

Impact

Designed for the living room of the townhome, this diptych serves as both a focal point and a natural extension of the surrounding environment. The vivid yet refined palette brings a sense of calm and wonder, inviting viewers to feel connected to the landscapes just beyond their doors. More than just artwork, VISTA – LupinVISTA: CO transforms the space into a reflection of Colorado’s beauty, creating a lasting sense of place.

VISTA: CO 44”x24” c Heather Hancock 2023

Get in touch

prints options for CO project

April 29, 2023

Ideas are still evolving for a set of small prints to hang in other spaces in the Colorado townhome. The prints relate to the larger original piece in minimalist graphic compositions.

VISTA: CO print option1 c Heather Hancock 2023

VISTA: CO print option2 c Heather Hancock 2023

VISTA: CO print option3 c Heather Hancock 2023

prints | prelim planning

April 19, 2023

BLOOM series

spring series: CAREFREE

A new project is in the works for a new construction Denver townhome. An original will be made in glass (2@44”x24”). 8”x8” prints will be framed at 12”x12” in other spaces in the home.

EXPLORE print series

new REFLECT commission installed

April 06, 2023

Delighted to get images from this recent installation in a newly renovated Evanston home.

The clients report that the piece is very shimmery in the afternoons with max natural light..and that it also catches lamplight in the evenings. Yay!!!

new REFLECT 4.7 beam commission | 48”h x 36”w c Heather Hancock 2022

REFLECT 4.7 hangs in a light-filled family room

VISTA | ideas for CO townhome

April 05, 2023

Trying different ideas for a new construction townhome in Denver. Using the VISTA approach with foregrounded glass elements against backgrounded painted elements.

paintbrush | castilleja drawing c Heather Hancock 2023

rendering | 2 vertical panels VISTA CO/castileja ~36” x 22” in stairwell c Heather Hancock 2023

rendering | 2 vertical panels VISTA CO/lupine ~36” x 22” in stairwell c Heather Hancock 2023

drawing VISTA CO/lupine ~36” x 22” in stairwell c Heather Hancock 2023

urbanVine in color

April 03, 2023

urbanVine 5.1 20” x 20” hand cut glass + concrete textured layers c Heather Hancock 2023

concept evolution | Grow5.0

March 14, 2023

Several things are coming together in Grow5.0. Nature thriving in city. Clean line urban aesthetic to simplify nature’s astounding complexity. Dark+light contrast, concrete textures and structures, text fragments and layers and shimmering color all create endless possibility. I’m ready to exlore how these can work in new canvas proportions.

rendering grow5.1 20”x20” hand cut glass + paint c Heather Hancock 2023

drawing | grow5.0 30”h x 40”w c Heather Hancock 2023

rendering | Grow vertical panels c Heather Hancock 2023

urban beauty | 4 approaches c Heather Hancock 2023

Grow5.0 originals

art for contemporary interior design

March 10, 2023

I came across an interior design portfolio so spectacular and clean and minimalist that I just HAD to curate some art hangings for these spaces.

The only pieces I modified were the Scan pieces which I turned into white glass on black background (from the original highly saturated greens+blues).

Thinking some more. Those pieces could also be so elegant done in white glass on white/palest gray background. I would love to see Scan as a pure abstract monochromatic installation somewhere, sometime. A few more experiments thinking about contrast and content in a contemporary interior.