Maurice Heaton (1900-1990)
"Making the enamels is fun. I like doing things that people can use. What I like best is to make the simplest forms in the world as pleasant as possible... I think the reason painters are so frustrated is that they feel there is no use for what they paint."
Born in Switzerland, Maurice Heaton and family emigrated to Old Mill Road, Valley Cottage in 1914, where he would stay until his death in 1990. Here, Heaton produced his many pieces of glass artwork, invented a new technique in the fusing of glass enamel, and endured three detrimental fires to his home. His talent with glass and contributions to the art community are just a small part of his legacy. Heaton lives on through his art, shown at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Corning Museum of Glass, as well as other public and private collections.
Maurice Heaton, Untitled, 1977. Glass and enamel, .75x12x12in. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Mark Waller, “Maurice Heaton,” in Painters and Paintings of Rockland County: The Hopper Years, 24. Gallery Moderne, 2014.
Maurice Heaton, Untitled, 1977. Glass and enamel, 1.9x30.5x30.5cm. Smithsonian American Art Museum.
Michael Hitzig, “The extraordinary Maurice Heaton,” The Journal News, November 24, 1985, accessed on July 14, 2016, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5888406/the_extraordinary_maurice_heaton/
Richard Gutwillig, “Rockland loses a craftsman, and much more,” The Journal News, April 9, 1990, accessed on July 14, 2016, https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5888564/rockland_loses_a_craftsman_and_much/ (continued on) https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5888584/rockland_loses_a_craftsman_and_much/