Helen Phoenix
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Originally from the North East, Helen Phoenix studied Fine Art at Cheltenham College of Art, Norwich School of Art and finally in Brighton. Helen is very fond of little garden birds and art that makes her smile.
Helen discovered the art of icon painting while working with a priest at her local church and became fascinated with the medium of egg tempera.
Egg tempera is an ancient technique, used primarily in medieval paintings until the late renaissance where it was superseded by the introduction of oil paints. Dry pigments are mixed with egg yolk, which act as a binder and must be constantly adjusted with the addition of distilled water and vinegar to maintain the consistency of the paint. Thin layers are applied, working from the dark to the light, with glaze used between each layer to build up the luminosity in the work. Final coatings of shellac are applied to protect the work and make the colours ‘sing’. The addition of gilding gives Helen’s paintings a warm reflective glow.
Aristophanes wrote of a city in the sky where humans transformed into birds, cloud cuckoo land. Inspired by this, Helen started to explore her own cloud cuckoo land. The birds take on personalities of their own.Across cultures, mythologies and folklore, birds embody many roles: symbols of freedom, messengers between worlds and signals of change. Her work is influenced by all of these elements, exploring the interaction of nature with the human spirit. Birds are all around us, they wake us up in the morning, they follow the sun, the moon and the stars, often returning to nests across many miles - evoking a sense of homecoming.
Two of her little paintings were exhibited in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition and the work has continued to flourish. Helen has completed paintings for a variety of clients including Jonathon Ross and Dawn French.
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Seeing the different stages of Helen Phoenix's 'Raspberry Thief' shows brilliantly the different stages that go into making a painting. Thank you to the artist for the images.
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