This is Part 2 of my conversation with Heather Pollington — ex-Hollywood artist, iconographer, and illustrator for Symbolic World Press. If you haven't listened to Episode 75 yet, start there first.
In this second half, Heather and I go deeper into her world as an icon painter — her illustration influences, the iconographic concept of simultaneous narrative, what it felt like to first encounter Orthodox art, and the bigger question of what a living iconographic tradition looks like for Western audiences today. We close with something I found genuinely moving: Heather's candid account of leaving Hollywood behind, and what she's learned about following work you can do with love.
Illustration Influences: From the Palekh lacquer-box tradition of Russia to British illustrator Errol Le Cain and Scandinavian master Kay Nielsen — the visual DNA behind Heather's fairy tale work.
The Memory Box: Why Heather's illustrations use framed vignettes instead of full-bleed spreads — and how her doll's-house fascination connects to a centuries-old iconographic principle called simultaneous narrative.
The Primacy of Meaning: How iconography taught Heather to colour by emotion rather than observation — and why the best icons hold a permanent tension between the knowable and the unknowable.
The Pivot Point: How researching medieval art for Maleficent 2 in 2017 became the unlikely doorway into both iconography and a return to meaning.
Old World, New World: A rich exchange on the difference between encountering Christian art in historic England versus new and cosmopolitan Canada — and why North America's "blank slate" might actually be an advantage for building a new vernacular tradition.
Reading the Room: Heather's approach to making iconography relevant for modern Western audiences — not by inventing, but by selecting from history what already resonates, the same way she once designed for "Michigan Joe" on a Hollywood set.
Doing the Work with Love: Heather's honest account of leaving the film industry — not with a plan, but by moving toward the thing she loved. And finding that the world realigned around her when she did.
Heather Pollington: Check out Heather's website and Instagram to see her illustration, iconography, and production design work.
Symbolic World Press: The fairy tale books Heather has illustrated for Jonathan Pageau, including The Tale of Snow White and the Widow Queen and The Tale of Rapunzel and the Evil Witch.
Errol Le Cain: British illustrator and one of Heather's key influences — look for his versions of Aladdin and The Magician's Daughter.
Kay Nielsen: Scandinavian Golden Age illustrator; his book East of the Sun and West of the Moon is a must-see.
Aidan Hart: Icon painter and Heather's teacher in the Orthodox iconographic tradition.
Creative Mornings Vancouver — June 5th: Tom will be speaking at Creative Mornings Vancouver around the theme of "Curate."
ICON13 — Baltimore, July 16th Workshop: Tom's workshop at the illustration conference is now sold out, but come say hi if you're there.
Know Your Art — Cohort Class Mailing List: Interested in future offerings of Tom's six-week illustration course? Add yourself to the list.
Drawing Is Important — The Book: Now available for purchase wherever books are sold!
In this EpisodeLinks and ResourcesTom's Links
