Moon Connection

I have been enchanted with an old song by Don Henley from the first moment I heard it.

I hadn't heard it for years until recently, when again it stopped me in my tracks with it's haunting melody.

After replaying it about 400 times :) .. I was at my easel and this little guy appeared..

I'm quite in love ..

And just like the old song this piece is titled  ..

' Talking to the Moon '

18 x 24 "

Acrylic on canvas

in 

Austin Art Garage Art Gallery

SOLD

LET THEM EAT CAKE

I love cake and I obviously love birds.. so I decided to combine them.. 

what a brilliant idea !

 I now say to myself.. where was this idea like.. a billion years ago?

Anyway.. in my whimsical world.. this is what happens.. 

we all eat cake,

 even birds.. 

preferably in my kitchen :)

               

             ' Let them eat cake '

                Acrylic on canvas

                    14" x 14"
                   sold

(Sorry Marie Antoinette' .. I know apparently you never said that , be we still kinda like to think you did.. bit of dark humor)..

so I thought for fun if anyone wants to see one of my paintings in some REALLY unpretty early stages, here you go..

             Scary stuff !!..

                and then....

                 Ahhhh...Thank goodness for that  :)..

               Have an amazing weekend !

                   Update this piece is SOLD  

15 mins after posting it .. that's my new record :) happy me..

                  Love H xx

Art, the ocean and a little green friend...

We ran away to the sea for a while..

reveling in sunsets like these...

Just before we left I delivered these two large abstract paintings to a gallery in Austin

Navigation

mixed media on canvas

24 x 30

Balance

mixed media  on canvas

36 x 24

Yesterday I was picking some vegetables from the garden for dinner..

When I spied this gorgeous green gecko checking me out from his Swiss Chard 'home'

he was a pretty chilled out little guy.. quite happy to let me hang out real close with my camera lens :)

I hope you all have a fun filled weekend ..

Cheers , Helen

Fish ...... paintings and metal wall sculptures

I fell in love with these fabulous fish wall sculptures while away at the beach.

They are made by an artist called Michael Gilbert.  He uses metal from old car doors, panels and other interesting bits he comes across.. they have a delicious old patina , rusty, chippy, faded paintwork.. It was so hard to choose which ones would join my little 'school' on the wall. But I eventually settled on these 5 ( out of about 20 I wanted to swim away with :)

Continuing on our 'fishy' theme.. I just found out that the 2 abstract fish paintings I painted recently have just sold ..I guess I was to buy and sell 'fish' this month  :)

'Uncharted Passage'

Mixed Media on canvas

'Navigating New Waters'

Mixed Media on canvas

Cheers , H xxx

Something a bit different..art.. for the love of bees..

This was inspired in part by my new source of delicious local raw honey.. a little 94 year old man.. who never wants to stop keeping bees.. as he just loves them so.. and worries about who will care for them..
awwww.. melts my heart..

'The Beekeeper'
Acrylic on canvas ..
30 x 40 inches..


My son has decided this is the new version of the Mona Lisa.. he says her eyes follow him around the room..

Hope you are all keeping cool on these wonderful summer days!

Luv . H

I'm back ! with new work..

Hi !... ummm yup.. I kinda went to another planet for just a wee while there.. Life stuff happening.. had skin cancer surgery ( all sweet now!..got rid o' that!) I think my face has a cool pirate look now !! hehe.. kids home for the summer.. social whirl.. oh... and my artwork in an exhibition show this Friday ,yay for art and music and fun!

New work is coming off the end of my brush.. guardians that are being sent to the earth to care for our natural world.. ( as the humans aren't very good at it!)
Here is a pic of one in the exhibition that you guys haven't seen.. she's another large one.. 24 '' x 48 inches..

'The Keeper of the Deer'
If anyone is in San Antonio this Friday.. come and say hi .. I'll be part of the 2nd Friday Artwalk in Tobin Hill.. at the Josephine Theater.. live music playing.. 5 bands and 5 visual artists.. great fun!
Here is the link .. Tobin Hill Artwalk..

Hope you are all ' living the dream'..
Cheers , Helen

Illustration Friday..

Hello lovely people.. here is my contribution. for 'Fearless'

This little chap is sitting facing the world pretty fearlessly...

mind you I had to face a few fears myself painting this.. it's HUGE for me.. this canvas is 32 x 40 inches.. a whopper.. this little birdie is the size of Zackary! hehe..

Hope you all have a peaceful Wednesday!...Helen

New series of work and art show..

Hi there everyone .. I thought I would share a few pics of my latest escapades..

I have begun a new series called 'Serenity within Chaos'

I was reflecting on this amazing age that we are living in, with so much technology and information available to us at the click of a button. This brings with it a lot of excitement , discovery and growth..but for many, it also creates questions that seem to have no answers, feelings of confusion, anxiety and being overwhelmed.

This new work reflects my thoughts on how peace can be found through living in the present moment and our best answers always come from within. We can be our own island of serenity while still walking amongst our world of chaos.
I am using texture, layers and movement to depict the turbulent times, framing a peaceful moment snapped in time, where those within appear oblivious to all the noise and confusion that surrounds them.

This is number three in the series called 'A Moment of Stillness'
( mixed media on canvas)


I had a full on weekend doing a 2 day show.. that was my first 2 day.. boy was I tired!.. Lots of fun though I had my friend showing with me , so we had a blast. Check out one view of our display..


It was great to sell prints, paintings, magnets and pendants.. but I was also thrilled that everybody loved my tiny ceramic pots as that was something new for me. And so easy to package up for the buyers as I had already packaged them in little sweet boxes.. here is what they looked like..

I hope you all find plenty of precious moments this week..

Love Helen

Art catchup..

I've been busy busy.. around here we have just had new concrete poured around the house.. with a rather large patio which has triggered massive loads of pots , plants, mulch and soil. It just takes one lovely upgrade to trigger an avalanche of new fabulous changes. The kids are loving zooming around on their skateboards and bikes!
This coming weekend is my first art show this season.. so have been working pretty full on for that.. here is a glimpse of some new pieces..

a mixed media piece with resin on the top..


this one is on a big chunky canvas...


feeling the need to get my hands in earthen clay again. ..I suddenly decided to make some little 'pods' . Inspired by shapes in nature I am really trying to keep their 'made in my hand' irregular look.. highlighting the 'hand hewn' finish as opposed to machine made / molded.. they are not finished or fired in the kiln or glazed yet.. but here is a little preview..
they are so cute for holding earrings, rings or even for spices etc..


Some of you will remember this wee bird :).. I cut out the original watercolor with an xacto knife (scary) and gave it a bit of pizazz ..creating a 3D mixed media piece in a shadow box..fun! ( special bonus.. you can even see me taking the pic reflected in the glass :p )


lots going on.. hope you are all having some fun with your muse!
Helen xx

Surreal whale painting..

I was thinking about how in life we don't always know where our assistance is coming from ..
just gotta have faith..

'Silent Navigator'


Acrylic on canvas
20 x 16

Happy Tuesday.. Don't forget to put your clocks forward this weekend!!
Ciao .. Helen

Fly me to the moon..

Have you ever thought what it would be like ... for just one day, to be able to go and visit someone you have loved fiercely, who no longer walks this earth with you?..

'Just One More Day'

Acrylic on canvas... 22 x 28

I was just thinking.....


.. this also fits .. the Illustration Friday prompt for this week.. 'Brave'.. she looks like she's heading off to the sunset pretty bravely to me..

Luv .. H

Anybody still love piglets?

This post is in honor of Zackary's precious well loved 'Piggie',





No matter what has come up in his life Zackary knows he can count on his powder pink, piglet friend to help him through it.






Here is my tribute to Z's special, swiney friend....

"Piggie..
may you be around
for many more years to come...
with your stuffing intact,
limbs still attached .....
Still Zackary's favorite chum."


Acrylic on Canvas - 'piggie'








( finished painting this little guy last night , ...I just love little piglets......)