Helen is a Brisbane based watercolour artist concentrating on landscape and portraiture. For her, art is neither profession nor a hobby; rather simply what she must do and has done since early childhood.
Helen’s begins most of her landscapes in the field sketching and painting from life. She seeks to immerse herself in the experience of a place, using the watercolour medium to convey the ephemera of shifting light, weather and mood of the scene before her. Helen feels that the special transparency and sometimes serendipitous flow of watercolour creates a spontaneity that says it all. COVID lockdowns did not disrupt this work but did concentrate her efforts. At her apartment windows Helen began a series of works that she calls At my window, or jokingly en plein lounge. One of her Brisbane river lockdown works, Evening Splendour, was a finalist in the 2022 Clayton Utz Art Award.
Occasionally Helen is inspired to create totally imaginary scenes or abstract work, with ideas coming from the environments and experiences of her travels or her night photography.
Recent Awards and recognition
2022 Finalist Clayton Utz Art Award
2018 Finalist Glencore Percival Portrait Painting Award
2018 Finalist 9×5 Landscape Award, Woollahra
2017 Finalist 9×5 Landscape Award, Woollahra
2016 Awarded Glencore Animal Portrait Prize
Exhibitions
Solo and duet
2019 SOLO Favourites en plein air at Perc Tucker Regional Gallery
2017 Duet exhibition Bell’ Italia, with Gai Copeman at Mo’s Art Gallery
Group
Group finalist exhibitions
Numerous group exhibitions with
- Townsville Watercolour Group
- Townsville Art Society
- Urban Sketchers Townsville
- Watercolour Society of Queensland
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