Born in Victoria, British Columbia in 1963, Heather spent much of her time as a youth drawing pictures of animals and reading about them.  She also drew family portraits and cartoons – one of which won the Victoria Times Colonist ‘Best Victoria Cartoon’ Contest in 1985.  Wildlife, however, remained her favourite subject and her greatest inspiration. Heather came across the work of wildlife artist Robert Bateman and, inspired by his beautiful paintings, was soon focused on becoming a wildlife artist.

After completing two years in the Fine Arts program at the University of Victoria, Heather realized she was not getting the instruction she needed for painting animals. Determined to pursue wildlife painting, she took a commercial art course to further her knowledge in composition, perspective and anatomy. Before finishing the course, she began painting animals, at first using gouache, and later changing to acrylic and pastel. She joined the Federation of Canadian Artists, and her paintings began selling in the Federation’s traveling shows on Vancouver Island. Commissioned work followed.

After getting married, Heather moved to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where her husband was working as a technician in the Air Force.  While living there, she entered a Ducks Unlimited juried show and received an honourable mention for her painting of a pair of Canada geese.  Heather and her husband spent a year in the prairies and another year and a half in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, before moving to the Comox Valley, on the west coast of Canada.

While living in the Valley, Heather took on a new challenge, completing a large painting of the Labrador Helicopter and Buffalo Airplane from the 442 Search and Rescue Squadron at 19 Wing, Comox Air Force Base.  It took six months of work and was later made into limited edition prints, of which over two hundred have sold.

Five years later (in 1996), with two young children, the Soos’ were transferred to Greenwood, Nova Scotia.  Heather continued to paint, while raising their family.  Two of Heather’s paintings were later featured in the ‘Master Critique’ article of ‘Wildlife Art’ magazine (July/Aug 2000 issue) and were favourably critiqued by wildlife artist, John Seerey-Lester.  Along with painting, Heather began doing some relief carving, first learning the basics from books and then attempting her own carvings.  Due to the time involved she has completed only a few pieces, which are carved in basswood and painted with acrylic.

 Heather, her husband and two children left Nova Scotia in 2001, going overseas to Germany, where they spent the next four years. In 2002 and 2003 Heather’s work was exhibited in the International Exhibition “Wild In De Natuur” in Enschede, The Netherlands.  Being included with many wildlife artists from around the world was a great experience and boosted her confidence.  During their stay in Europe Heather produced a second limited edition print – which has sold out – featuring architecture in the town of Gangelt, Germany, where their family was residing.  She also taught an art course for members of the Canadian military community.

When the family came back to Canada in August of 2005, they returned to Courtenay, in the Comox valley. Heather rejoined the Federation of Canadian Artists and, the following summer, received an ‘Award of Excellence’ in the Comox Valley Chapter 2006 Members Show.  In 2007, Heather was accepted as an associate member of The Society of Animal Artists. In the same year, Ducks Unlimited Canada selected her as ‘National Artist of the Year’ for 2008, an honour she was thrilled to receive.   Her winning painting of three Trumpeter swans was reproduced in a limited edition of 5000 prints which were auctioned throughout Canada and the U.S. to raise funds for wetland conservation.

Only two short years after arriving in Courtenay, Heather’s husband was posted again.  He went ahead to Winnipeg, where the family met up with him the following summer, in 2008.

Heather is inspired by many different wildlife subjects. She spends time researching her subjects and goes out in the field to observe them when she can. She is often accompanied by her husband, who is an adept photographer and takes most of her reference photos. She has always been particularly interested in the wildlife of Africa, and looks forward to travelling there in the near future to see the animals firsthand and paint more pictures that will feature African wildlife.

Heather’s work has been exhibited in galleries on Vancouver Island, B.C., in Nova Scotia, and overseas in Enschede, The Netherlands, and Bruges, Belgium.  Her art can be seen on her website, which was designed by her husband, and is for sale at the Riverway Gallery in Courtenay, B.C.

Most recently, Heather was approached by the’ Bigfork Bay Cotton Company’ (in Montana), interested in producing quilt patterns from several of her paintings.  This work is now in progress.

Along with her husband and two children (now teenagers), Heather has so far enjoyed her time in the province of Manitoba and she continues to find many more subjects to paint. In her latest painting (of ‘Cathedral Grove’ rainforest on Vancouver Island) she switched to oil, having been an acrylic painter up to this point.  She enjoyed working with oil and intends to continue using both oil and acrylic for future paintings.  Heather spends time with her family in the evenings and on weekends and paints during the week in her studio at home.