Ask anyone to name one local artist and chances are they’ll say Tom Heflin. Around town, Heflin, who has been a full-time artist for more than 40 years, is known for his landscape paintings. Decades ago, he created paintings of Rockford landmarks, including Tinker Swiss Cottage and what was then Burpee Art Museum [now RAM]. Heflin doesn’t just create realistic paintings, though. One of his abstracts, which won a $2,000 grand prize in an abstract/experimental competition for International Artist magazine, and will appear on its cover in the fall.—Rockford Register Star, 2012
