PineShoreStudio/Paintings by Helen Harris

      I'm about to drive across the country. Half excited, half dreading the long journey, I'm making decisions of what art supplies to pack. Really, you'd think this would be a simple task...just bring everything! Of course, I envision stopping roadside to capture every new plant life, river & mountain. I will be resting along the highways & byways to picnic in a bucolic setting watching the sunsets as I go west, painting en plain air..... ahhhhno . Recently I returned from one trip to New Hampshire & Maine and another from the Adirondacks of New York. I am more fully aware and at ease with the methods and habits of my day as an artist that have worked for me over the years. Always changing as I've added new skills, I've also learned to be kind to myself and not beat myself up when that gorgeous sunrise was not captured, brush in hand at that moment right there on the spot or sketched in newly purchased journals.        You see, I was p...

Renewed energy in my new studio space has spurred me to explore a different approach to my work.  For many years, I purposely integrated my textures of rice papers, torn watercolor papers, fibers etc. into a smooth surface . I fooled the eye into believing the painting was a watercolor painting,but in reality was hundreds of pieces of textures that created the surface & landscape image. My return to daily painting, though brief, has already  taken a turn to a more abstract and sculptural approach. Textures that I normally apply flat are rising off the canvas. Even the use of canvas as opposed to my watercolor paper is different. My first indication that I was headed in this direction came with the creation of "Emerging".   This detail shows the texture pulling away from the canvas surface. I am currently exploring a 12 x12 canvas that incorporates this more textural surface. I have simply allowed this to happen rather than return to my tried & true habit...

ACEO: Woven Moments is now for sale through my Etsy shop. This format continues to be a way for me to enjoy stolen moments of time to continue my work despite my busy schedule. Now, besides my bakery/cafe ,I am about to build & open an independent cinema . Time to paint has become precious and that was what inspired this textural piece.

I like to refer to the ACEO format ( 2.5" x 3.5" ) as "pocket art". As a grandmother I proudly carry around the grandbabies photos...but how many of my fellow artists "pocket" their paintings? It certainly makes more of an impression than flipping out the ol' business card! My watercolor/ collage techniques are right there to see & feel with my potential customer. "Buds" my newest ACEO featured at left is currently available for purchase through my web site

My first chance to paint since opening my new business The Cookie Cab. This original,vertical floral is a mixed media/collage using my signature textures. Unframed, it can be purchased directly from my web site.

Standing on the shore, rocky,splashed,grasses whipped by the salty breeze,.....clarity and thoughts of summer not far away. Mixed media on paper: image size 4.25"H x 12"W acrylic inks, gouache, watercolor raffia, watercolor paper, unryu ,papyrus blended fiber gel, matte medium

Take 1 artist + canvas/paper wet ingredients: watercolor, gouache,acrylic and inks + dry ingredients: torn paper,papyrus, unryu papers, bark papers,mango & banana papers, ogura lace spatter with 23k gold, glass beaded gel, blended fiber gel Mix well, spread with brush ,knife & fingers let dry have great expectations & a sense of humor......... PaintersBrew ... target date March 1st!

As temperatures soared into triple digits,my palette warmed to the hot side of reds,oranges and yellows. Slightly cooled by dashes of blues and violets,I believe the heat of the day is conveyed to the viewer in this work. The image is approximately 19"Hx 12"W. I made use of a technique,acquired from studying video by Don Getz, in which gesso is first applied to the watercolor paper. Watercolor then is splashed over the surface and images are "lifted" out of the color and tones are deepened within the negative shapes. Adding the strong textural elements of bark paper and papyrus completed this woodsey scene. Currently unmatted or framed this work is available from the artist :$400.+ shipping contact :kelhart1958@aol.com