Helen Leaver

Emerging artist Helen Leaver was born in Bristol and is now based in mid-Cornwall. She paints with oils in her garden studio, adding and removing many layers onto wood or linen, a process that gives her much joy. She captures the memory of a place or moment in time with colours and textures noticed on her walks in Cornwall.

Her art process begins in quiet, still places, noticing what her senses are capturing such as the sounds and movement of the birds which she represents with little dots and their flightpaths are swooping uplifting marks made using feathers, shells or seaglass. Her art practice is entwined with meditation. Painting in an intuitive way, she responds to the marks she makes, allowing them to inform the next, embracing what she calls ‘the serendipitous happenings’.

Helen Leaver’s work is a mesmerising fusion of art and nature, reflecting her deep connection to the landscapes of Cornwall. Through layers of oil paint on wood or linen, she captures the essence of fleeting moments with colours and textures inspired by her surroundings. Her paintings evoke a sense of serenity and contemplation, inviting viewers to immerse themselves in the interplay between conscious and unconscious realms. With each brushstroke, she brings to life the beauty of quiet places and the intricate details of the natural world, offering a glimpse into her meditative process and the serendipitous magic of creation.

Through patiently layering oil paint and mediums Helen explores the interplay between the conscious and unconscious, the pause or holding space of not quite here or there. The theme of the threshold often informs her contemporary abstract works, an example being the tideline, a place which is not sea or land.