We very much appreciate you using this page to answer your questions. It allows us to focus on creating beautiful, thought-provoking work and getting your orders processed quickly and accurately.
Please click on the link below that deals with your question.
When will I receive the next issue of The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal
Our print publication comes out twice a year. Issue 55 was mailed April 22. Issue 56 is scheduled to be mailed in late September. So that new subscribers won’t have to wait six months to receive their first issue, issues will also be mailed to new subscribers once a month for three months after the release of a particular issue.
The creative nature of our work (Rod sometimes paints the same painting over several times before getting something he is happy with) means that publishing dates are somewhat flexible.
When The Pause for Beauty arrives, the links it contains don't go anywhere; there are no images and there is no readable text. What is the problem?
Most likely the problem is that your email provider (for example, g-mail, hotmail, yahoo) is not set up to receive HTML emails. Though we aren't familiar with the specifics of every provider, most email providers have an "Options" menu that allows you to turn "HTML" email "on" or "off". If "HTML" is turned off, Pause for Beauty emails will not display properly and the links won't activate.
We have not yet set this feature up. We hope to in the next few months.
Ordering Information
How do I send a gift or gift subscription to more than one person/address using the Heron Dance website? You can only ship to one address per order using our website. If you would like to send gifts to several people please enter and pay for each order separately, or fax (800-834-5720) your order or mail it to Heron Dance, Hummingbird Lane, 179 Rotax Rd. North Ferrisburg, VT 05473. Our website is the method we recommend. It tends to be most accurate and orders placed on our website get processed faster because no one here has to type anything into a computer.
Are the prices printed on the receipt within the box? Our packing slip simply lists the package contents. If you ordered online and need an itemized invoice, please refer to your email confirmation. If you placed your order by phone/mail and would like your invoice emailed please let us know when you place the order.
Website Order Form
In response to requests from people who would rather not order online, we now have an order form on the site that you can print out, fill in and mail or fax in with a check or credit card number. Visit here to view.
NOTE: This form requires Adobe Reader to view, if you do no have it, download Adobe Reader.
Samples & Subscriptions
I would like to sample theThe Heron Dance Nature Art Journal before subscribing. How do I go about requesting a sample? We offer individual copies of recent back issues (36-72 pages) for $15. Over the years the The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal has had many different formats so our pricing structure for older back issues varies (almost all are less than $15). To order back issues visit here.
You can also sample some of our work at no charge:
Read excerpts from some of our back issues online by visiting here.
When does my subscription toThe Heron Dance Nature Art Journal expire? Your basic $30 subscription will expire approximately twelve months after subscribing/ renewing. Visit here
to renew or visit here subscribe.
Can subscriptions be sent to countries outside of the U.S.? Yes, we can send subscriptions anywhere in the world (at no additional expense). Issues are mailed via nonprofit standard mail, so can take as long as six weeks arrive outside of the United States.
I have a subscription to The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal but haven't received anything since I subscribed? (OR) I haven’t received The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal in a while. Why?
We have the wrong mailing address on file for you. You may have moved and forgotten to notify us. We send our publication via nonprofit bulk mail, which is not automatically forwarded. Or perhaps the address change you made was not processed correctly by us or the post office. If you order something and enter your new address as the "Ship To" address, it DOES NOT automatically update our subscription mailing list. To update our subscription mailing list, or if for some other reason you think we have the wrong address on file, please click here to enter your corrected or updated address.
Your issue was lost in the mail. We send our publication via nonprofit standard mail, and occasionally, delivery can be delayed or even lost. Please allow a full month from the time we mail, which is posted on our website on the "Subscribe" page.
Your subscription has expired. If you are unclear on whether or not your subscription to The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal has expired, the simplest thing to do is to call us at (888) 304-3766 and press 0 when the phone system answers.
How much is a subscription to The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal?
A subscription to the The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal is $30 a year. If you can afford to donate more than $30 we would
be grateful, as we depend on those additional donations to continue publishing. We offer gift subscriptions for $30 a year. Visit here to subscribe, renew or give a gift subscription
How are Gift Subscriptions handled? When you give a gift subscription to The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal, we send out a postcard in a monthly mailing of gift subscription announcements. Depending on when the gift subscription was purchased, this first issue could take some time, (The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal is published twice a year). One possibility is to purchase a back issue and send it along with a note to your friend. Back issues can be purchased by clicking here.
My name or address has changed, or I must be in your system more than once, as I'm receiving multiple copies of The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal. How do I notify you?
What size are your notecards?
All of our notecards are 5" x 7" with the exception of our Love & Gratitude notecards, which are about 4" x 5.5".
Why does Heron Dance
have products manufactured in China? Heron Dance no longer has printing done in China, but did in 2006 and 2007. The cost was so much less, and we were just beginning to offer our products to stores, and to make that viable we did a portion of our printing in the Pacific Rim. To offset the environmental impact,Heron Dance donated $4,800 to the Northeast Wilderness Trust for the protection of forest land and wildlife habitat in the Adirondacks. To learn more, please visit here.
Going forward, we plan to do all of our printing domestically on recycled paper, and where feasible, including for notecards, our printing will be done on 100% post consumer recycled paper.
I love the single-sheet style of
the 2007 wall calendar. Do you have one like that for 2008? Though we
do not have a portfolio-style calendar for 2008, we do have the Celebrating
Wild Places 2008 Wall Calendar, which also features a different Rod MacIver
watercolor for each month, along with an inspiring quote. It is a standard flip-up
style, with an open size of 13” X 24” (13” X 12” closed). The 1 1/2” grid squares
allow plenty of room for jotting down notes or appointments, and the printed
dates are also large, for easy viewing.
Prints
How are limited edition prints shipped?
Prints are shipped flat. They are placed inside a plastic print sleeve, sandwiched
between two pieces of sturdy cardboard and placed inside a print box. Prints
and originals are shipped separately from other products. On average, it takes
4 business days, from the date they are ordered, to get prints and originals
out the door.
I received my product but not my limited edition prints. If your order contains Limited Edition prints and other Heron Dance items, your shipment will arrive in more than one package because we ship Roderick MacIver originals and limited edition prints from our North Ferrisburg, VT office, while other items ship from our fulfillment center in Williston, VT.
What size are the prints? Small prints are produced on 8.5" x 11" paper with an average image size of 6" x 9". Medium prints are produced on 11.7" x 16" paper with an average image size of 10" x 14". Large prints are produced on 17” x 22” paper with an average image size of 15" x 20".
What are the print margins? Small prints will have a minimum white margin of half an inch on all sides. Medium prints will have a minimum margin of three quarters of an inch on all sides. Large prints will have a minimum margin of one inch on all sides.
Are Rod's prints signed? Yes, all prints are signed and numbered by Rod. Each edition is limited to 750 prints, with the exception of Sunset Heron.
What type of paper is used for prints? Epson Acid Free 10 mil Enhanced Matte paper. It is not made of recycled materials. We tried to use a recycled paper years ago, but the colors came out dull.
What type of ink is used for prints? Epson color fast inks that are rated to not fade for 200 years.
May I order an unframed print and
have Heron Dance frame it? Unfortunately, we no longer offer framing
options. We discovered that most of our Heron Dancers preferred to have prints
and originals framed to meet their own specifications (i.e., different frames,
matting, sizing, color, and pricing options). We do, however, offer some framed
originals and prints on our website. To view these, visit
this link.
"My order has not yet been received", and other shipping related inquiries and concerns.
If your order has not been received within the time indicated on that page, or your order is damaged or missing, please email service@herondance.org or call 888-304-3766 ext. 0.
Can you ship internationally? Because Heron Dance is so small, we lack the financial, staffing, and technical resources to ship products internationally (the exception being our subscription-based journal). We are able to ship products via Global Priority Mail to Mexico and Canada, but sometimes Customs charge duties and these are the responsibility of the customer. If this happens, we'll contact you and ask you if you want us to take back the item in which case we'll just bill you for shipping, or bill your credit card for the Customs duties and any related brokerage fees.
My order was damaged in shipment. What do I do? We do our best to securely package your orders, but occasionally items are damaged in shipping. Damaged items are either fully refunded or exchanged, your preference, but please call us at 888-304-3766 or email us at
service@herondance.org, so that we can work things out with the shipper. Please put "Damaged" in the subject line.
Can I pay more for same day or expedited processing? We try to be as fair as possible with our order processing, giving priority to the orders as we receive them instead of to the people who can pay the most. So, we do not offer an expedited processing option. But, we are happy to hear from you about your predicament and will try our best to accommodate you. We
do offer expedited shipping options, and in most instances process orders for shipment within 24 hours. Visit here to learn more about our shipping practices.
Returns
I received the wrong items. What do I do? Heron Dance takes complete responsibility for shipping expenses associated with exchanging the wrong item(s) for the right if the mis-shipment was our mistake. If you inadvertently ordered the wrong item(s) on our website or by mail, the shipping expense for the exchange of
goods will be your responsibility. Contact us by clicking on this email link service@herondance.org. Please put “Wrong Items” in the subject line.
I’d like to return or exchange my order. What do I do? All of our products are unconditionally guaranteed. If you are not happy with an item, please return it for an exchange or full refund. Please return original paintings you do not want in the same condition that they arrived in within 15 days of receipt for a refund or exchange. We ask that you insure packages with a value of over $100, including all original paintings. We will credit your original payment method. Shipping costs and insurance both ways are refunded if the return is the result of our error. If an item arrives damaged please email us at service@herondance.org or call us toll free at 888-304-3766, so that we can contact the shipper and put "Order Damaged" in the subject line. If you receive an item you did not order, you can return it without contacting us first but please include a note outlining your reason for the return/exchange along with your order number if you have it, and your name and phone number or email address should we need to get in touch with you.
About the Artist and the Organization
Does Rod do commissioned work? No, Rod has tried to paint for commissions, but is unable to. His art is inspired by the wild places he has visited, the photos he has brought back with him and his dreams. He is unable to find inspiration in others' ideas.
What types of watercolors does Rod use in his paintings? Rod uses a wide variety of watercolors, but particularly likes Holbein watercolors and Twinrocker handmade paper. He uses Tri-Art, Chromacolour, and Golden acrylics. The actual colors vary greatly from painting to painting, but often have Paynes Gray, Burnt Sienna, Sepia and Alazarin Crimson,.
Does Rod lead workshops in painting? Rod is planning a painting workshop for sometime in the first half of 2009. When arrangements have been made, an announcement will be posted in the Pause For Beauty and in issue 56. We'll also put up a page with information in the Studio Store on this website. Plans should be in place by the end of July, 2008.
What makes you a nonprofit? Heron Dance qualifies as a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organization because of its literary, nature and educational content. To learn more about 501(c)(3) nonprofits, please visit
here. Crucial to its mission is Heron Dance’s commitment to helping other small nonprofits trying to do good work. We donated over $9,000 worth of art and notecards for fundraising efforts last year. Visit here to learn more. In addition, Heron Dance makes contributions at least annually to the Northeast Wilderness Trust as part of its commitment to help preserve wild nature. Visit
here to learn more.
Is it true that you give free subscriptions to incarcerated persons? Yes, we offer complimentary subscriptions to incarcerated persons, but they’ll need to personally send us a note requesting a subscription.
Do you share my information?
Heron Dance survived the early years thanks to other small nonprofits that were willing to share their customer lists for our mailings. Income from list rentals has kept us viable. Without this source of revenue, which is similar to advertising revenue but doesn’t clutter up our publication, Heron Dance might not be in existence today. If you do not want your name and address shared, please email service@herondance.org
and include your name, address and the subject line of "Do Not Rent." Visit here to read our privacy policy.
I heard that Heron Dance makes donations to nonprofits. Will Heron Dance support my organization by making a donation of art? We donate art to most non profits and consider requests from individuals to use Rod's art.
Heron Dance helps nonprofits by donating notecards and the use of art. The art we donate has been used by hundreds of wilderness protection groups over the years in their promotional materials, fundraising and publications.
Visit here to view a partial list. Please email service@herondance.org for more information and put “Donation Request” in the subject line.
Rod's art has also been used on the covers of books, CD's, wedding invitations and business cards. We do review the appropriateness of the proposed use and charge a fee based on how many copies will be printed. Please email service@herondance.org for more information and put "Art Request" in the subject line.
What happened to editor and writer Ann O'Shaughnessy? After 6 1/2 years of working together, Rod and Ann decided to each commit to their own individual creative paths. Ann now focuses her efforts on a non-profit called Soul
Flares. Visit here for more information. Please address any questions regarding that website or Annie's work directly to her at annie@soulflares.org
Do you accept submissions? Most
publications have an editorial staff; Heron Dance has only one editor, who is also the artist and president of Heron Dance. While we love to receive your poetry
and writing, you are unlikely to receive a response from us. Please do
not send us anything that you wish to have returned. If we do use your writing,
we will contact you to ask permission.
We are no longer publishing the work of outside authors or out of print wilderness classics.
We ask that anyone who submits their
writing read at least two issue of the journal or several issues of our free Pause For Beauty first. We do not publish book reviews, but we do occasionally recommend books to Heron Dance subscribers.
Can you tell me the source for a particular
quote or poem? If we know the source, we will name it in the publication.
Many quotes get passed on to us from others, so we aren’t always able to provide
a source. We suggest you try google.com,
pasting one line of the quote into the search bar.
I am trying to contact a person mentioned
in The Heron Dance Nature Art Journal.
Can you give me their contact info? We suggest google.com
or whitepages.com.
I found a few errors on
your website or in your publication. What is the best way to notify you?
We appreciate you bringing errors to our attention. Please email errors
to laura@herondance.org. Know that
we will read your email and take note of your correction.
Thank you!
A Pause for Beauty
I have signed up for A Pause for Beauty but am not receiving it. What can you or I do so that I am on the list? Do you have a junk mail filter? Sometimes A Pause for Beauty emails are sent straight to a "Junk" mailbox on your computer or on your provider's server. If the problem is on your own computer, you could add heron@herondance.org to your address book. Then email from us will not bounce. You also could try changing your spam settings. If this doesn't work, you could ask your internet sources provider where email suspected of being Junk goes.
I read a wonderful quote in A Pause for Beauty but must have deleted that issue. Can you help me?
Rod, I really liked something you
quoted in a recent Pause for Beauty or a particular Issue. Can you give me the
source of the quote/excerpt? I'm sorry,
I have thousands of pages of notes that I've collected over 30 years that I
draw these things from. You might try entering the title on Google.
My email address has changed. How do you update it so that I can continue receiving A Pause for Beauty? To update your email address to continue receiving
A Pause for Beauty, go to the bottom of A Pause for Beauty email. Click on "Update Profile/Email Address," then click on "edit email." From here, you can instantly update the email address
we have in our system.
I cannot see the painting or other images in A Pause for Beauty. What can you or I do to fix that? First, check that your email software (Outlook, for instance) is not set to block attachments. Sometimes application preferences are set to prohibit attachments because viruses are sometimes sent via attachments.
Another reason this could be happening on some of your email is that larger providers such as AOL, MSN and Hotmail often strip attachments when their servers experience high traffic. Sometimes they will even dump whole batches of emails!! The solution might be to move to a different email provider.
You can also send an email to (service@herondance.org). Please indicate your old or incorrect address, your correct address and please enter COA in the subject line. Please also include your email address in case we need clarification on anything.
It is necessary to advise us even if you have entered your new address as the "Ship To" address when placing an order. Unfortunately, this DOES NOT automatically update our subscription mailing list.
If none of these answers properly resolves your concern, please email us at (service@herondance.org). We try to respond to all emails containing questions not answered above, and then copy and paste the question and answer here to take care of similiar inquiries in the future.
You can also call us toll free at 888-304-3766, ext 0, but we prefer email unless the problem has to do with an order that you did not receive or received damaged.
If you are having a major problem with Heron Dance - if you are very disappointed with us - please email Roderick MacIver, our founder and artist. He takes these emails seriously. If a practical solution can be found, we'll make it happen. His email is rod@herondance.org.
