The River Speaks book of painting and poetry available September 2026

landscape paintings

Landscape works are created from a combination of sources, memory, painting and drawing on site, and passages from my poetry. Many paintings are influenced by my Irish roots and love of nature on both sides of the Atlantic.

small works & en plein air paintings

This gallery shows smaller works and paintings done on site and in my studio. These works often inform larger paintings. To enquire, please email through "Get in Touch" below.

abstract expressionist paintings

My abstract paintings are derived from my poetry. I work in series typically, this ongoing body of work is called "Wayfinding", which explores the synthesis of language, through poetry, visual art, music, and film., in collaboration with other artists. It’s a creative journey of seamless expression, storytelling, and emotional connectivity. This has been the foundation of solo exhibitions and an ongoing body of work.

poetry

Michael began writing poetry in the summer of 2020, during the pandemic. This new expression and exploration of his inner landscape and his relationship with nature have become the foundation for much of his painting. His poems draw on early memories of his native home, as well as on observations of nature and on social and environmental issues. Over the last six years, they have been meditations on life, the natural world, and the challenges of reinvention in a rapidly changing world.The Language of MusicHis works are being translated into the language of music through his rewarding collaboration with cellist Harrison Cook. This collaboration has resulted in a collection of original compositions for cello based on Michael's poetry. Many of the works are related to The River Speaks collection of poems. This ongoing project pushes the boundaries of seamless expression and integrative works in collaborative and performative arts.Wayfinding, an award-winning film by Brandon Peterson, shot in a single take on the Chattahoochee River in Atlanta, served as the anchor poem in his 2023 solo exhibition of painting and poetry.Michael's book, The River Speaks, is a beautifully designed and produced 10" x 10" hardcover featuring selected poems and paintings related to the Chattahoochee River. The River Speaks, a synthesis of visual and poetic language, will be launched in September 2026.Michael will release a collection of poems titled In The Marginalia of Memory in 2027.

background

a synthesis of visual and poetic language

Michael survived a widowmaker heart attack while cycling in June 2018. The trauma of that event led to his reevaluation of priorities and to his return to painting full-time. His journey is a testament to the human spirit's capacity for reinvention.Michael's artistic practice is a unique blend of visual and poetic language. His love of landscape permeates his work in both painting and poetry. From his studio in Marietta, north of Atlanta, he delves into ongoing abstract conceptual works, a journey he began during the pandemic lockdown and isolation. This intense focus has given rise to a practice that combines mark-making, visual expression, and storytelling. His contemporary landscape paintings often reflect themes from his writing. His practice is based on making. He builds his own stretchers, stretches raw canvas, and builds cradled wood panels. Even at this early stage in the making process, he is thinking about the painting, its subject, and its language. In tandem, he often edits or writes a poem. While his works are primarily created with oil paint, he uses allied materials such as acrylic, oil bar, aerosols, and applied surface materials, whatever is needed to evoke an emotion or image, often with a focus on surface, texture, and light.In 2023, he held two large solo exhibitions of his work, which were well-received by the public and critics alike and marked a significant milestone in his artistic journey. His work has been shown in prestigious galleries in Ireland and England and sold to art collectors throughout the US, a testament to the universal appeal of his art.Born in Dublin in 1954, he graduated from the National College of Art & Design (NCAD) in 1975 and Birmingham Polytechnic with a postgraduate in Industrial Design Engineering in 1977. His successful career as an award-winning designer led him to the US in 1989, where he spent over 35 years in leadership positions in entrepreneurial companies in healthcare, science, technology, and consulting services. His transition from the corporate world to the art world is a fascinating story of passion, resilience, and creativity.He has exhibited at Sol Art Gallery in Dublin, Ireland, Mason Fine Art Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, and several regional and local galleries in the southeastern United States. In 2023, he had two large solo exhibitions of Wayfinding at Marietta Cobb Museum of Art in Marietta, Georgia, and Quinlan Visual Art Center in Gainesville, Georgia. His work is sold throughout the US.

artist statement

As I progress in my practice, landscape and abstract expressionism consolidate. I use a lot of texture in my work and feel a tactile quality and three-dimensionality in the surface, with built-in layers of color. Editing, removing, and adding elements is not unlike the process of writing poetry and finding the right words to express with the economy of language. A synthesis of language to connect and move " in all that's said in the unsaid" is a conceptual driver.The seamless expression excites me, as does the search for and expression of emotional connection, which provides just enough for one to participate in, interpret, and engage with the work. I like to think I can draw one into the paintings, toward discovery through interesting passages. I strive for consistency in my visual vocabulary, and I continue to extrapolate and explore as I deepen my obsession with the materiality of paint and its boundless possibilities.

previous works

The paintings below are selected works sold throughout the United States. Wooden stretcher bars and cradled wood panels are all handmade in-house and only the finest materials are used in all hand-stretched duck cotton, and Belgium linen canvases.

A DIAMOND JUBILEE: 75 YEARS OF THE GEORGIA SYMPHONY

May 23, 2026, Atlanta Symphony HallGSO, the Georgia Symphony Orchestra, selected the work of Michael Heffernan as the
featured visual artist for its finale performance at the Atlanta Symphony Hall. Michael's
painting, "Days Dawning", 89" x 65.5", oil and mixed media on canvas, is featured on all
program and PR material. In addition, 100 signed prints of his painting have been
provided to VIP supporters of the GSO at a VIP reception prior to the performance.

Interview on NPR affiliate WABE

Interview on Common Éire

The River Speaks, Available September 2026

The River Speaks is a Limited Edition, full-color, high-quality book with a sleeve over a linen-covered, saddle-stitched hardcover. Featuring selected paintings and poetry, each individually signed by Michael Heffernan.Working as a full-time artist, Michael weaves together visual and poetic language. Across both mediums, he employs color, form, and shape to create expressive mark-making that carries a strong sense of narrative and emotion. The Chattahoochee River serves as both muse and constant companion, an enduring presence that flows through the work as a powerful metaphor.Ultimately, The River Speaks is an invitation: to engage the imagination, to reconnect with the natural world, and to find within that connection a way to navigate change, upheaval, trauma, and loss. Its message feels especially urgent in a world that often seems divided and uncertain.Send an email via the Get In Touch link above with your name and location to receive updates on availability.