Heather Mahler is a local freelance artist. When comparing her personal style and the style of her drawings, it is clear that the lines are blurred. She often gets asked if she is featured in her drawings, though she says she is actually emulating the characters she draws. She will be participating in Craft Lake City’s 8th Annual DIY Festival.
Special thanks to Paradise Palm, who hosted this month’s SLUGStyle within their lush tropical plant store.
Every month, SLUG Style features a distinct and unique member of the community and asks them why they do what they do. Exploring more than just clothing, SLUGStyle is an attempt to feature the people who give Salt Lake City flavor through personality and panache.
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“Fashion-wise, I guess I generally wear dark neutrals and then I like to accentuate with my hair and my makeup,” says Mahler. “It’s rare that I wear a bright-colored outfit, because whenever I have, I feel like I’m exploding. It’s just too much.” Photo: @clancycoop
“I like to put my weird sense of humor in my work—what I think is funny,” says Mahler. “Dry humor is my favorite; or awkward body language is super nice. I kind of like to incorporate that with kind of a standoffish character.” Photo: @clancycoop
Mahler’s work has garnered a significant following on social media sites. “I’ve had a lot of people reach out, and they say that they relate to [my art],” says Mahler. “That’s not the main reason I put it out there, because if I don’t, I’ll go crazy. I have to put it out there, but it’s really nice when someone else goes, ‘Hey, I get it. Hey, I really appreciate this. Hey, I really connect with this.'” Photo: @clancycoop
“My favorite thing is taking something magical and then meshing it with really mundane world things,” says Mahler. “I really like drawing someone just waiting, like if you’re waiting for the bus. Mundane things, I think, are really interesting. I’m just going to draw someone sitting and drinking tea, but then I’ll say, ‘Oh, I really like this color of pink, and oh, I’m really enjoying these feline elements.'” Photo: @clancycoop
“Last week, my hair was blondish gray. A few weeks before that, it was bright red. A few weeks before that, it was black. A few weeks before that, it was green,” says Mahler. “I’ve had people go, ‘Oh, I didn’t recognize you. Last time I saw you, your hair was this color.’ I get bored with my hair a lot, but clothing-wise, I like to do monochromes.” Photo: @clancycoop
“When I was in seventh grade, I was drawing a lot of Japanese anime, but I grew up with a graphic designer for a mom. My family had a little intervention kind of thing,” says Mahler. “They were like, ‘We’re really worried about you, because you’re drawing a lot of anime.’ My mom said to me, ‘Your goal should be to have your name come before a style, so you’re not drawing a style, you’re drawing something that represents you.'” Photo: @clancycoop
“My tattoos—I don’t have any color ink. I think color ink is beautiful,” says Mahler. “When I see someone walk by and they have a lot of tattoos and they’re colorful, I’m just like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ Half the time, I want to take a picture, but that’s creepy if I just wasn’t asking for their permission. For me, I really like having my palette. My tattoos are all linear—no color. ” Photo: @clancycoop
Look for Heather’s booth at the upcoming Craft Lake City DIY Festival! Photo: @clancycoop
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