About Helen Riddell
Helen is an abstract artist who divides her time between London and Hampshire. Central to her artwork is reflecting the emotions that moments of beauty in the natural world evoke; the passionate feelings that a dark moody sky inspires, or the sense of elation in watching a stunning sunset evolve through oranges, pinks and purples. Through her creative process Helen embraces the opposing energy states of strength and vulnerability, uncovering hidden moments of serenity.
'We all have a story to tell, experiences that make up the history of our individual lives, including times when our hearts and minds struggle. I find that through my painting I'm able to be free. It's a process for me to put those feelings down on the canvas and then layer by layer uncover contentment and a sense of calm. The act of painting itself is a release; a moment in time to suspend the noise and immerse myself in the emotions I wish to create for the viewer.'
Helen’s Story
With a degree in Visual Arts, Helen pursued a career in television, becoming a Series Producer of shiny floor entertainment shows. Yet she always had a creative project on the side - turning her hand to furniture restoration and interior design outside of her television work. These projects allowed her creativity to flourish, however it was during lockdown in 2020 that she rediscovered her passion for painting. In the fifth week of lockdown, when living on her own and feeling increasingly isolated, her mum (not an artist!) suggested that they each have a go at recreating the same painting by Scottish artist, Cadell. And in those 3 hours concentrating on painting, the troubles of the world were momentarily put aside as she immersed herself in the joy of being expressive. These paintings became a family tradition throughout lockdown and were indeed a lifeline, but more so, they ignited a desire in Helen to expand and discover her own visual voice. As her style evolved, Helen was thrilled and encouraged by the number of requests for commissions from friends and she took a further leap by speaking to Mimi V Artworks in Balham, SW London, where Helen now regularly shows and sells her work.
My Inspiration
Nature is most definitely my inspiration. I find being by the sea, or standing on top of a hill looking out over a vast landscape incredibly moving. Often my paintings reflect the sky or the sea, two large expanses that personally bring me the twin feelings of euphoria and a sense of calm. It's these feelings that I channel and express in my work.
I’m often asked if I have a ready formulated idea of how a painting is going to turn out and the honest answer is no. For me painting is a process; sometimes I capture the emotion early on, other times I have to sit with a painting over a number of weeks to see what needs to be added or changed. And sometimes, as every artist knows, you have to be bold enough to paint over what you’ve currently created because it’s not reaching the emotional plane you’re after. However, it’s often in these moments when you add and take away paint that the depth of feeling emerges. It’s a very rewarding moment when you can see the essence of your painting come alive.
Technique, Texture and Colour
I use a variety of tools; palette knives, rollers, sponges, paintbrushes as well as a number of different textures such as modelling paste, crackle paste and sand to get the various textures that I desire in my paintings. Layering acrylic paint, and using inks and pastels also provide different dimensions to my pieces.
Alongside texture, colour also sparks a huge range of emotions for me. There are certain colours that I feel a strong visceral connection to - I love the richness and depth of blues, the burst of invigoration that pinks and reds deliver and I feel inspired when layering these and watching what emerges.
In some of my collections I use gold leaf, taking inspiration from the Japanese art of Kintsugi which embraces the flawed or imperfect by mending the cracks and damage in gold powder, treating the breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. We are all flawed and imperfect and over the years I've learned that rather than trying to disguise my imperfections or fears, it's okay to embrace them and accept them. Which is why in my paintings I use gold leaf to highlight the beauty of those imperfections, to reflect that we are all susceptible to breaks and knocks, but this is part of our own individual histories and not something that has to be disguised. Instead they can be seen as beautiful, an acceptance of yourself, a way to be kind to yourself as well as an understanding that others can see that beauty also.
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