ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
KENT ARTIST PROFILE :
HELEN BARNARD
HELEN BARNARD IS AN ARTIST WHO LIVES IN A WORLD OF COLOUR . A FAR CRY FROM DREARY GREYS , BROWNS AND WHITES , HELEN ’ S WORK IS BRIMMING WITH BRIGHT HUES , CHILDHOOD MEMORIES AND A DEEP LOVE FOR THE NATURAL WORLD . JESS MARSHALL SAT DOWN WITH HELEN TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THIS VIBRANT SISSINGHURST-BASED ARTIST …
Tell us about your journey into becoming an artist .
I ’ ve always been creative , looking for ways to connect with the natural environment on a much deeper level . Painting allows me not only to observe landscapes but to truly connect with the hidden silhouettes , abstract shapes and incredible colours that you might miss at first sight . It really is a voyage of discovery for me . On a practical level , life is always about timing , and I have been painting full time over the last few years once I had retired from agency life and both my amazing kids had embarked on their own journeys .
How would you describe your process , from the spark of inspiration to the finished product ?
My process is never straightforward – it really does need that undefinable spark for a painting to unravel in my imagination . I spend a lot of time outside walking and observing . When I ’ m suddenly struck by a particular view , I get a real rush of excitement and usually know instantly how I can paint it .
Your paintings are incredibly colourful , why is it that you are drawn to such bright hues ?
Colours are a huge factor , they will lead the composition for me – I would say that I am definitely a colourist at heart . Light is also key . Winter light will reveal quite different colours to the light of spring and summer . Once I know where the light falls and the colour palette , then , the painting will begin .
You take a lot of inspiration from the natural land , tell us what it is about the untouched world that influences your work .
I always try to paint scenes that have a personal resonance for me , so along with natural landscapes , I have also been painting beach and seaside scenes over the last couple of years – again , full of colour and light . The recent lockdowns prompted this creative return to my childhood holidays , normally always spent by the British seaside and filled with memories of anticipation and the excitement of being by the sea . These powerful memories were the inspiration for these recent beach landscapes and are painted with a sensibility of childlike optimism and hope , in a candy palette of peppermints , sherbet lemons and baby pinks , with accents of comforting and shadowy teals and soft nostalgic greys .
Who would you say are your artistic heroes ?
Too many to mention , I am obsessed with colour , so anyone that paints with intense pigment really ; greats such as Matisse , Picasso and Van Gogh , more contemporary greats such as Peter Blake , Patrick Heron and David Hockney . But I ’ m also influenced by the aesthetic of Arts & Crafts icons such as May Morris and the creative art director geniuses of Hollywood in the ‘ 30s such as Cedric Gibbons .
Where can we find your work ?
I exhibit in London and throughout Kent and Sussex in galleries , and I also sell directly to customers on Instagram @ hlbarnardartist , I also hold studio tours by appointment . People really love coming to the studio , mess and all , as they can see the creative process up close and really get a feel for how paintings develop , from the spark of an idea to the final realisation in oil on the canvas .
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