Round and Round XXII

This series " Round and Round" is based on the drawings of my garden. We have had a very wet summer and autumn in SE Queensland. The result of back to back La Nina events. I drew in my garden every day for a hundred days from mid-February to mid-May. Each drawing was in a brown paper sketchbook and I used ink and a bamboo stick cut from my garden. The colour was applied with pencil crayon. For many days I could only draw from my veranda sheltering from the rain. This made me get creative and explore viewpoints from a limited area. On the days I did get into the garden I didn't go far so the work was in a small area. We live on 10 acres and have a very large garden but I kept things quite domestic. As a child, I loved " round and round the garden", it reminds me of my Dad and Grandad, and I sang it to my kids too. So it seemed the best title for the series. I drew, round and round the garden and the painting process during wet soggy days seemed to go round and round too.

Follow

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.