Mangoes Pomegranate and Summer Blooms Summers Gold

Objects preserve a wealth of significant emotion and connection, serving as physical embodiments of identity. The narratives of these objects project a sense of self while sharing stories of lives lived in other places and times. They hold a physical representation of experience, speaking of familial ties and the story of who we were, who we are, and where we have been.
The featured flora comes from my garden, a space I have nurtured from a rocky cow paddock. Each plant is imbued with personal significance. I hail from a long line of passionate gardeners, and the plants in my garden are often chosen as tributes to friends and ancestors.
I painted a series of still life which celebrate my home and those I have and do love.
This was the first painting of the series to feature the original casement windows in our ensuite bathroom. Our house is a 1922 workers' cottage and was moved from Pinkenba in 2010 to be restored and extended. Most of the windows were replaced but these were labouriously sanded and painted by me, with new blue glass installed.
I wanted to explore the compositional structure of interiors and window frames. I loved the feeling of golden French light and the promise of sunshine in the paintings of the post-impressionists especially whilst residing in grey, bleak Manchester. Views through windows are a homage to the exquisite paintings of Matisse, and Bonnard.
The spider lilies in the jug were a hand-me-down when friends left Brisbane for Canberra. They have thrived and flower around Christmas. Mangoes are the ultimate signal of a Queensland summer and the pomegranates now pop up in the shops as summer begins. I am allergic to mangoes, a long and sad story.
Pomegranates remind me of the autumn in the UK. My Mum would buy a pomegranate from the market in town, once a year, one pomegranate. She told me that the white pith around the jewel seeds was poisonous so I would eat them with paranoid care.
Summer's Gold is also a reference to a cocktail mixer (Somer's Gold) which is essential in the signature drink of Bermuda, the Swizzle.

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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.