In my paintings, I set out to investigate my interest in symbols, languages, maps, cryptography, mark making, talismans, beliefs, and what is left behind and carried forward. I paint from an instinctive place that is propelled by discovery rather than a plan, and that seeks an unfolding rather than an end goal.

Through color, texture, and mark making I am exploring how messy and how beautiful things can get. The layers of paint and the marks within those layers are representative of the way things grow and transform, of shifting relationships and complex stories—just as in life. And, through the medium of paint, my intention is to let go of what I thought I knew and unearth a world where beauty may look different than I initially imagined or expected, and where meaning is unfixed.

By allowing and encouraging things to be considered in a new way, there is an opportunity to treasure the unknown and to find excitement and perhaps even comfort in the mystery. And that opportunity and mystery is not only mine. Each time the painting is viewed, new layers surface. We are inclined to imbue meaning that evolves from our human tendency to tell stories and embrace beauty—even in what may seem abstract.

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Heidi Goodyear lives and paints in Santa Fe, New Mexico.