Helen Beasley

Helen Beasley studied Fine Art (painting) at Wimbledon School of Art, graduating in the early 1980’s.

Helen spent five years teaching art to adults and children on short courses and workshops, and also in Primary Schools.
Continuing to paint mainly commissioned works, she also undertook decorative hand painted murals predominately for private homes but including a conference room and swimming pool changing room.

After an extended break to bring up a family and immerse herself in village life, a change of circumstances has enabled her to return to painting, giving it the time it deserves to develop.

Artist’s statement
Dividing my time between rural Northamptonshire and the South Devon Coast, I walk daily with my dog, Connie, and often stop to make pencil and watercolour sketches of the landscape, for as long as she will allow. This forces me to record what I see quickly without getting bogged down in unnecessary detail. These drawings, along with photographs taken with an iPhone, are the references for my work.

Back in my studio, and working mainly in oils, I attempt to rationalise the vastness of the natural landscape, which I see as layers, into bands and blocks of colour. The act of ordering and translating what I see into a two dimensional painting brings a sense of calm and being rooted in the countryside which I love. Working in this way is a solitary experience which I think is echoed in the nature of my paintings, I actively seek seclusion where the feeling of the place can engulf me.