Painting the ever-changing moods, colors, and light of the ocean, Whitney Alexanderson Heavey draws on a lifelong connection to the sea. Raised in New England, she developed an early appreciation for its varied landscapes, drawn most deeply to the shoreline. Her grandmother, an artist, nurtured this bond during beach walks, teaching her to notice the subtleties of nature. Today, from her Cape Cod studio, Whitney creates pieces that blend expressive brushwork with layered color to evoke the sensory and emotional essence of the coast. Her process begins with time spent outdoors, gathering impressions through sketchbooks, photographs, videos, and written reflections that capture the air, light, and atmosphere of a moment. “I strive to paint the way the landscape makes me feel, not necessarily how it looks,” she says. This approach allows each painting to evolve naturally, with an openness to discovery and the patience to refine a work until it feels complete. The ocean remains Whitney's central muse, anchored in her family’s maritime history—her grandfather captained the SS United States, then the fastest transatlantic ocean liner, and her father served as a navigator on a Navy nuclear submarine. These nautical roots inform her respect for the resilience, patience, and unpredictability of the sea. Boats often appear in her work, serving both as compositional elements and as symbols of journeys, endurance, and the ability to navigate change. Whitney embraces the imperfections and challenges of painting as integral to her creative process, finding that persistence often leads to breakthroughs. “Even on the toughest days, I feel grateful to do what I love,” she says. She earned her BFA from Skidmore College, spending a year in Florence, Italy, at Studio Art Centers International. After teaching art and working as an art buyer for children’s publishing, she began painting full-time in 2005. Her work has been juried into exhibitions including the Cambridge Art Association and the Creative Arts Center in Chatham, Massachusetts, where she won First Prize in oils. She is a member of the Copley Society of Art. Learn more about Whitney Heavey on Radio Maine.