“You change the world by being yourself.”
Yoko Ono
Hello, I’m Helen. An artist based in the Pennine Hills of West Yorkshire, UK.
I thrive on a quiet life. I find comfort in solitude, energy in nature and inspiration in the wild, empty space where the sky meets the land. I love to wake up early but start my day slowly. My journal is my best friend and my studio is my true home, my conch shell. Inside is where the magic happens.
Many moons ago I studied foundation arts and textile design, before falling into a ‘more acceptable’ career path. As the years passed the conflict between who I was on the inside and who I had become in my working life, escalated. Rather than face the seemingly impossible conversations and decisions required, I convinced myself everything was fine, and in my spare time, I ran.
Running was my freedom. I ran miles, on tiny paths over moors and moutains. At times, in flow, it felt completely effortless, like I was flying with the birds, connected to all that surrounded me.
It is often said that in life, we are ‘exactly where we need to be’. Little comfort when, inevitably, I found myself drowning in a sea of cortisol; exhausted, sick, in therapy, and far too broken to run. But what if it is true? What if we need to live through all of it, before we can turn our lives around?
It has taken my entire life to become the artist that I am today. To be willing to be seen for who I am, not who the world taught me it wanted me to be.
My art is not for everyone. If you’re here, thank you. I hope my paintings make you smile, and bring a little sparkle to your life. I also hope they might inspire you - to listen to your inner knowing, to trust yourself, and to live your life boldly and beautifully in your own unique way.
“If you are always trying to be normal you will never know how amazing you can be.”
Maya Angelou
