Floral still life : Weatheriggs and Rainbow Beach

90 x 90 x 4 cm | Acrylic on cradled ply panel, framed

This painting is part of my new still life series created for my solo show A Sense of Self. Each object in the series carries memory, emotion, and connection, acting as a physical embodiment of identity. These works reflect lives lived in other places and times, speaking of familial ties and the journey of who we were, who we are, and where we have been.

Weatheriggs and Rainbow Beach weaves together personal and familial history. The brown jug is a classic piece from Weatheriggs pottery, once belonging to the Watson family, whose connection to my mother’s wartime childhood in Kirkoswald remains strong. The small white jug, bought on Rainbow Beach, carries the warmth of Queensland sunshine and childhood memories of camping at Innskip Point. Together, they bridge distant places and generations, reflecting the delicate tension of a life lived across worlds, with parts of the heart left elsewhere.

Painted in acrylic on cradled ply panel, the work is unframed and ready for display, capturing layered textures, colour, and the quiet resonance of memory.

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Helen has been a practising artist since completing an MA in Textiles at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is a full-time artist and tutor, working and teaching from her purpose-built studio set on 9 rural acres in Cedar Creek, northside of Brisbane.She lived and worked in Bermuda for many years before settling in SE Queensland. Her work has been shown in group and solo exhibitions in the USA, Canada, The Caribbean, the UK, Bermuda, Europe, Russia and Australia, it can be found in private, corporate and public collections.

Helen's art is bursting with exuberant colour and texture realised in acrylic on board.Her work begins with observational drawings on location developed into lushly layered paintings in the studio. Her work explores genius loci, seeking to find echoes and connections to other places and spaces. Her love of landscape and gardens nurtures ancestral connection and is a central theme of her practice. Her textile training is evident in the marks, pattern, texture and colour of her work.

She completed a year-long artist-in-residence at a local flower farm in May 2024. Her time at the farm produced a major body of work of plein air landscapes and botnical studio paintings. She spent the year drawing and painting on location. Her drawings were developed into richly textured paintings in the studio.

Helen's practice is realised in acrylic on ply. The majority of her work is finished with 3 coats of gloss medium. This enhances the complex layers of paint and colour in the work. If you would like a stain finish please message Helen and she can apply a soft wax to render a satin finish.