hen house

I love " Chooks" and have a number of heritage breeds at home. A local lady breeds them and I use them as models too.
Encaustic is an ancient technique which uses layers of hot fused wax to produce a beautiful working surface with depth and lustre. I have been working with encaustic since 2014 having first become aware of this amazing media in the late 1990's. It took me quite a while to find the time and information to give it a go.
For this series I cut into a prepared wax surface with etching and lino cutting tools then ink the drawing with oil paint. The piece is then wiped to reveal the " inked " drawing. I used to do a fair amount of printmaking and that influened the technique and aesthetic of this series.
The one quesiton I ma most asked is " How do I know it won't melt?" I think people think that their art work will melt onto the floor. If encaustic is prepared properly with adequate fusing between layers of wax it will not slide off the panel. My sutiod is in a large shed which can get very hot in Queensland in the summer. None of my work has ever melted. It will soften on a very hot day but hardens up again as soon as the temperature drops. I have a number of peiecs in our home which get harder with age. Wax is a beautiful surface to work on and the art is very special

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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.