Fuschia – Ballerina
Helena Anderson
Chequer House Gallery
From Saturday 1st March
When I was running an Art Club at the Gaywood Art Centre, I used to encourage my members to paint on all sorts of surfaces, slate, wood, ceramic, linen, papyrus, glass, and my favourite, Silk. So when I was honoured to be asked to hold the first individual exhibition at our new home Chequer House, I thought it would be a chance to show my Silk paintings.
Distant trees
Initially, when I was asked to write a piece for the WNAA newsletter, I was slightly alarmed, but then I realised it is good to seize the opportunity and share a flavour of my day as an artist, digging down a bit, into what it feels like to stretch my skill set daily and hopefully help someone else along the way.
Life-drawing session Sketch charcoal on paper (A2) and wax maquettes
My creative work spreads across a variety of media both 2D and 3D but whether printing, painting, ceramics or sculpture, the process always starts with drawing.
I’ve always drawn, when I was nine years old, I won a Typhoo Tea competition with a drawing of teacups and lions in a desert! Often humour is still to be found in my work, particularly my ceramics, sculptures and Christmas card. Studying technical subjects instead of fine art meant that whilst raising children, I continued drawing even though mainly straight lines for planning applications.
Holme Beach, acrylic
Why do I paint? It’s in the genes I suppose as I come from a creative family and loved to watch my maternal grandfather produce amazing paintings.
No technology and mobile phones in my childhood. I learnt to sew, play the piano, draw and most of all look. Sketch books are the most essential part of my life. I still carry one around just in case I get a moment to capture an idea that could be used in a painting.
Scotland 2, soft pastel
Drawing has been my greatest passion from a young age. I achieve a great deal of self-worth and enjoyment from drawing.
My usual way of working has been to create detailed pencil drawings, but recently I have decided to try a less labor-intensive approach, focusing more on mark making and colour than tiny detail. A trip around Scotland last summer inspired this new approach. Read more …
Tittleshall Village Hall
High Street, Tittleshall
15th, 16th February
10 – 4
I shall be exhibiting, along with 3 Norfolk friends on 15th and 16th February. It will be at Tittleshall Village Hall, High Street. Tittleshall, between 10 and 4 both days.
My first piece of marble in Carrara
With the end of the year approaching, I like to review and see if my year is complete. But how can you rate that? What IS complete? Maybe it’s achieving everything I set out to do but maybe it’s just enough to travel the path as best I can — one small step after the other.
2024 has been a year with both tumultuous upheaval and one of artistic achievement. It has also presented new possibilities for 2025. Pondering this, I recalled my first marble carving course in Carrara, Italy — and my first commission in Carrara marble.
Originally from South East London, I moved to Kings Lynn in l970 to run a family Hotel, which I did until l990, when I decided to have a change of direction, and I opened an Art Centre in Gaywood.
I sold a very wide variety of Art Supplies, plus had a coffee shop and Gallery on the first floor, and a studio, where I held classes and workshops. The 15 years I spent there were very happy, especially helping people to buy the right products and teaching them how to use them. Also with the added bonus of selling their work in the Gallery/coffee shop. Read more …
‘Summer flooding’ oil
I had always been interested in Art but never even lifted up a pencil until I moved up to Norfolk and undertook the Diploma course in Contemporary Oil Painting at the Norfolk Painting School in 2020.
It was transformative for me; finally I found what I wanted to achieve in my future. I loved all aspects of the learning, from studio craft, technical skills, art history and loved the challenges of painting studies of the Masters and learning from doing them.
‘Columbia Road Market’ pen & wash
‘What have you been up to?’ his work colleagues asked
‘Painting’
‘Matt or emulsion’
I had never painted before but I was inspired to take an art course at Willy Lott’s Cottage, Flatford Mill, after my artist mother’s death. Pure watercolour never had enough definition for me, so combining drawing with dip pen and watercolour became my default medium.