Navy Veteran Following Her Dream of Teaching Art at New Business in Ballston Spa

BALLSTON SPA — Local resident of Ballston Spa, Navy veteran, wife and mother of three Heather Hiegl will open the doors of her new business Paint-n-Gogh on April 5 with a grand opening and paint and sip class.

Paint-n-Gogh, located at 114 Milton Avenue in the Village of Ballston Spa, aims to offer a creative outlet for adults and children. It will host family paint classes in the afternoon, paint and sip classes in the evening and private painting parties for all ages. Hiegl will guide guests step-by-step through their paintings, and plans to focus on fun with music, games and prizes.

Since she was a child, Hiegl has had a passion for art. Her dream was to be an art teacher. Upon graduating high school, however, she chose to serve

her country and enlisted in the Navy. Her career there would be cut short after Hiegl suffered a stroke during her third year of enlistment. The Veteran’s Affairs helped her transition into the next chapter of her life by sending her to college where she studied Computer-Aided Drafting and Design. She then wentontoworkforDepartment of Defense contractors. At the age of 35, she returned to school and obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Business. Now, she’s ready to make her childhood dream a reality and teach art.

“I’m so happy to offer a space for people of any age to express their creativity,” said Hiegl. “This is a beautiful community with wonderful people, and I feel lucky to have the opportunity to become a bigger part of it.”

Painting themes will range from cute animals to beautiful nature scenes, cityscapes, pop culture and more. Friday’s grand opening will feature a ribbon cutting with the Ballston Spa Business and Professional Association at 6 p.m. and a llama paint and sip class at 7 p.m., with more classes to follow over the weekend.