Jacaranda Spring

80 x 80 x 4 cm | Acrylic on cradled ply panel, framed

Part of my A Sense of Self series, this still life reflects how everyday objects can hold deep emotion and connection, becoming physical embodiments of identity. They carry the stories of lives lived in other places and times — telling us who we were, who we are, and where we have been.

I’ve always loved jacarandas and planted many over the years. My connection to them goes back to the early 1990s, when my husband David’s first architectural job in Bermuda was for clients who owned a house called Jacaranda. At the time, only two jacaranda trees grew on the island — one at Orange Grove in Smith’s, where our friend Sara lived, and the other at the client’s home. Those trees hold memories of our early married life, visiting friends, and winding drives up Knapton Hill.

Now, living in South East Queensland, jacaranda season brings the promise of summer — the soft, spectacular purple rain of a Brisbane spring.

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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.