Helaena

-Accepted into the juried regional Carolina Art Show

- Founding artist in the Fine Art Dry Ridge Gallery, Weaverville, NC

I make acrylic and oil paintings of floral arrangements as a woman’s soul imagined. It has never been an intentional decision to create, it is simply an energetic pull I cannot ignore. The chance to find yourself within a piece of your own work is a feeling that I will continue to chase forever. Being a creative is the only place that I feel whole and connected to all that is around me. I make my pieces without the vision of the outcome and allow myself to flow freely. In the moment I forget everything and expression through my hands take over. I will start grounded, without brushes, only with my hands to shift the background, sometimes closing my eyes to find the shape of the vase which will be the foundation where flowers will bloom. My emotion drives me to choose the right colors of the flowers, without fear of a reference. Drips of paint give me a sense of play and character to challenge my pull to realism. An intricate story is told through my work. My interpretation of this through the vase (body), the flowers (mind), and drips (spirit). I hope all women will see one of their own complexities within one of these paintings as I have discovered my own.