Heather Horton

Heather Horton is a Canadian fine artist based in Pasadena, California. She is known for her colorful, realist paintings, which focus on internal states, contemplative narratives, and often draw from personal connections to her own life. She has been praised for her ability to capture the play of light on water's surface.
Heather Horton was born in 1974 and raised in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from McMaster University and completed the Interpretive Illustration program at Sheridan College.
Horton joined Abbozzo Gallery in 2004. In 2007, Horton's artistic contributions were highlighted on Bravo! Canada's series "The Artist's Life."
Several of Horton's paintings were included in the 2018 Lionsgate film "A Simple Favor".
Horton has exhibited her work in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Her solo exhibitions include "Near and Dear" in Chicago, Illinois in 2018, and "Love Story," in Toronto, Ontario, in 2020.
In October 2023, Horton hosted "Immersion," her 16th solo exhibition, in Pasadena, California. The show included over 30 oil paintings.
In February 2024, three of Horton's paintings landed on the lunar surface aboard “Odysseus”, a lunar lander holding the Lunar Codex as a part of NASA and Intuitive Machine's combined efforts. Samuel Peralta's Lunar Codex project is known as “the world's longest running art exhibition." Works from Horton's portfolio were present in nanofiche files aboard all three upcoming launches. Lunar Codex launched miniaturized images of the works of 30,000-plus artists, writers, musicians, and filmmakers from 161 countries to the moon to create the largest archive of contemporary art. It was the first project sending the work of female artists to the moon, and Horton's portfolio was one of only three artists whose work was included in every Lunar Codex capsule launch. Horton's art can be found in private and corporate collections worldwide. Her work has also become a part of the permanent collection at the Canadian Embassy in Ankara, Turkey, as well as the Government of Ontario's permanent collection.
Recently, Horton's art was covered in Fine Art Connoisseur Magazine by Sam and Alice Peralta. [1]
Horton's latest solo exhibition titled "Naiad" is on display June 5 - July 6, 2024 at the esteemed Pontone Gallery in Soho, United Kingdom. The debut exhibition features her latest works that take audiences into a submerged water-world of refracted light through which a young woman swims, floats and glides. This collection allows visitors to witness the sensory perceptions of this contemporary iteration of a naiad – the water nymph so familiar from classical tales.
Similar work is also currently on displayed via new solo gallery exhibition hosted by Abbozzo Gallery titled "Recovering my Humanity in Toronto, Canada. This exhibition is live from June 7 - July 6, 2024. Just announced is Horton's inclusion in the exhibition "Janela," which provides an insightful look into the creative process of Gorka Urbizu and the intricate efforts behind his debut solo album, "Hasiera Bat." "Janela" is featured at the Dock of the Bay Festival (Dock of the Bay - Music Documentary Film Festival), held at the Santa Teresa Convent KMK in San Sebastián, Spain. The painting "Carly, resting" is also prominently featured on the album cover of "Hasiera Bat," including a special zoetrope edition.
In recent weeks, Heather Horton has joined Somewhere in the Pines podcast as a co-producer, focusing on the investigation of serial killer Israel Keyes and was a featured guest on their panel about the case at the Berkshire Podcast Festival.
Horton's latest exhibition is called "Shifting Focus: Female Painters & Sculptors 2025" hosted by Pontone Gallery in London, UK. This group exhibition features Horton's latest work and runs March 7 - April 5, 2025. The exhibition coincides with International Women's Day (March 8th) and features a wide range of works by female gallery artists whoe ach explore a fluid and nuanced relationship with their subject matter and modes of expression.
Horton married filmmaker and writer Joss Whedon in February 2021.