Finding beauty in ordinary moments is what inspires Heide Presse to create art. When painting historical pieces, she is most interested in how people lived their daily lives. Reading the journals of those who lived before us fuels her imagination and she strives to be authentic in their portrayal. Currently, her work is mostly of 19th century subjects, figurative and still life, utilizing natural light and a rich palette. Heide's hand-sewn quilts and period clothing can be seen in her work which is often a combination of her interests and talents.

A recently completed large scale project is now on a three-museum tour, including the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville, Georgia, July-December 2023; Steamboat Art Museum in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, May-September 2024; and James Museum of Western & Wildlife Art, St. Petersburg, Florida, June-September 2025. The project, "We Set Our Faces Westward...One Woman's Journey 1839-1848," was inspired by Keturah Belknap's journals which are richly descriptive of how pioneers lived their daily lives. Heide's sketchbook from this project was so popular that she is producing a book of its pages.

Heide was born in Germany, raised in Louisiana, and recently moved with her husband Jim to Cincinnati, Ohio, where she is enjoying the changing seasons after living in Florida for many years. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Art degree in graphic design, she worked in advertising in Texas before transitioning into a full-time painter. Her work is included in private and museum collections, many publications, and she currently participates in Quest for the West at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. She is represented by Wild Horse Gallery in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.

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