Training
Heléne was trained in Natural History Illustration at Blackpool Art College in the UK. After graduating, Heléne became a paste-up artist and printers’ plate-maker with a Lakeland printing company. From here she spent three years completing her all round practical art education working as a graphic artist for a local newspaper. This gave Heléne the commercial experience and financial stability needed to pursue her chosen vocation as a freelance artist.
Heléne is now keen to pass on her experience to others and often mentors younger artists. She uses her free time to teach adults looking to develop their artistic abilities.
Career
Heléne began her full-time freelance career in 1989, in the early years concentrating on commercial clients. She undertook commissions for such diverse companies as BBC publications, British Airways and ICI. She also illustrated a number of books, from children’s fiction through to encyclopaedias, where of course, her detailed and accurate style was crucial. Heléne has also proved herself to be a versatile artist by accepting mural commissions, this has allowed her to enjoy the freedom of working to a much larger scale than normal, with her largest mural to date being 120 foot long by 9ft high.
Having developed her skills through this diversity of work, Heléne was able to build on this solid foundation and specialise in the area for which she has become known. She considers herself to be very fortunate to have developed her childhood fascination for the Native American Indian and particularly American wildlife into her career.
Style
Collectors of Heléne’s work love her authenticity and meticulous style. This is only made possible through hours of research. In her endeavours to portray her chosen subject accurately, Heléne has traveled to the extensively within America, including study trips to Colorado, Wyoming, including Yellowstone Park and the Crow and Wind River Indian Reservations. Work undertaken at the Buffalo Bill Indian museum in Cody, Wyoming has proved to be an invaluable source of research and reference.
Heléne’s annual photographic reference trips have included Oatland Island nature reserve in Savannah, Georgia, Wolf Hollow in Massachussets , Vermont, the Queens Zoo in New York as well as numerous trips in the UK including Howletts and Longleat. Heléne has even been fortunate enough to walk with wolves at the UK Wolf Conservation Centre in Berkshire.
" My improved photographic reference has greatly enriched my paintings but more importantly, seeing the animals at close range has developed my understanding of their movements and quirks. It has allowed a greater sense of naturalism in my paintings."
Technique
Heléne has discovered the joy of painting with acrylics and has totally changed her style in the last five years to embrace the strengths of the medium. However, she still loves working with pencil and plans to produce more work with this lovely, delicate medium. A recent commission of two blond retrievers has shown just how versatile plain old-fashioned pencils can be.
Awards & Major Commissions
Heléne has won various awards, most notably the Gold Medal Award for the best exhibit in show presented by the Society of Artists and the M.P.M.A. Best in Metal Gold Award for her artwork on a range of products for Kingfisher Ltd. More recent commissions have been for Horizon Cigar Ltd for artwork to go on a range of cigar packaging.
Heléne has had two major exhibitions at the Dock Museum in Barrow-in-Furness, 'Enduring Culture' in 2002 and 'Wolves & Warriors' in 2004.
Collections
Heléne’s work can be found in private collections in the UK, USA, Europe and Australia. Public access to her work is largely through temporary exhibitions throughout the UK. Keep checking the website for upcoming events.
How you can share Heléne’s work
A range of Heléne’s limited edition prints and cards are available for sale via this website. Please use the menu on the left hand side to navigate through the gallery pages. Heléne also offers her original works for sale via the site and you can contact her directly for availability and prices.
Although Heléne almost exclusively concentrates on her chosen subject of American wildlife and the Native American Indian, she is happy to accept commissions. Her private work over the last 20 years has included portraits of beloved family pets, grandparents, racehorses and marshal arts experts. One of the more usual requests was for a 60 ft long dinosaur for the side of a wide-load lorry! Heléne is able to work from photographs so you won’t have to endure hours of sitting. Please feel free to enquire, you might just have found that perfect gift you have been looking for!
07808 762149
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