Within walking distance of Broadway, in an award-winning home and studio, artist Heather LaCoppola surrounds herself with the things she loves. By adding neoclassical components to a new farmhouse design, Balzer & Tuck Architecture and Teakwood Builders have created an elegant space for Heather’s special architectural artifacts and treasured finds.

An avid antique-r, Heather’s new-but-old style favors simple, clean lines and standout pieces like the substantial barn door she acquired from Brimfield, Mass. that now serves as the backdrop to her growing collection of hand-painted nature-inspired pieces, such as honey bees, flowers, farm animals, and landscapes.

Many of these vintage pieces are distressed and bear a charming patina, adding depth and texture to the whimsical collection of farmyard characters found in Hen Picked, Heather’s line of textiles, cards, and prints.

“Every kitchen should have a chicken or two,” she said.

When the Pickin’s Good

The inklings of Hen Picked originated in 2017 when Heather created a few paintings to “add fluff and prettiness” to her booth at the Round Lake Antiques Festival, she said. 

Since then, she has attended a variety of local art shows; her “Winter Sheep” won second place in the 2020 New York State Sheep and Wool Festival logo contest; and her flower and bee sketch “Unleashing and Inspiring” was the third-place winner in the “Where Women Create” national magazine design challenge.

Today, after a decade as an elementary school teacher and with their two girls grown into adulthood, Heather said she and her husband, Eric, enjoy getting out of the city for Sunday drives through the country hills of Salem, Granville, and beyond.

Pastural Bliss

The remnants of America’s agricultural roots that Heather discovers on her travels brings her a sense of peace, she said. This feeling of tranquility and goodwill radiates from the idyllic farm yard animal paintings inspired by them.

Heather said she stays true to herself and her own aesthetic, painting what she wants to paint, whether it is an architectural rendering of iconic Saratoga buildings in a softer watercolor palette (imbuing an old-world charm) or her mod fox painted with the richer, bolder oil colors that make it a standout pillow on any sofa.

Working with archival paper, antique boards, vintage ornaments, and frames means that Heather’s originals are rarely a standard size. For example, rather than encasing them under glass, Heather used varnish to seal a selection of one-of-a-kind pastoral oil paintings beneath their three-inch round gilded frames.

Fresh From the City in the Country

On one commission, Heather spent six weeks in her studio working on a 3’ x 4’ painting of a shaggy Shetland cow. Although she typically paints from morning to mid-afternoon, with the music of the Indigo Girls, Old Dominion, or Dave Matthews playing in the background, Heather said that one of the great things about her schedule is its flexibility.

A sheep with a woolen cap, a rooster in ice skates, and a moose with moss in his antlers are just a few of the whimsical characters that Heather whips up in her studio. Last year, the Hen Picked Holiday Open House, had approximately 75 people stop by to shop the tea towels, painted ornaments, original works, prints and more on display.

In the summer months, instead of in the studio, you’ll often find Heather in her garden’s annual, perennial, and vegetable beds. Combining these two passions, she held an inviting Art in the Garden event in July.

Heather’s artwork and eclectic designs can be found at The Beekman Street Art Fair, on Etsy (henpickedshop), at Impressions of Saratoga, Sugarbush Lane Mercantile in Charlton, and the Vischer Ferry General Store. For special sales, follow @hen_picked on Instagram.

∅ In the coming months, Heather will have holiday open house events in her studio starting on Sunday, December 1st. Look for her garden on the Soroptimist Secret Gardens Tour on June 29th, 2025.