Helen Patterson

Introduction

My background in printed textiles has given me a fascination with vibrant colour, abstract shapes and texture. I take natural subjects: flowers, landscapes, birds, butterflies and portray them with vivid colours and energetic, flowing strokes. The result is a spontaneous hymn to all things colourful.

I enjoy working in mixed media: acrylics, pastel, ink, combined with collage and gesso. This freedom of form is both liberating and expressive, allowing my innate creativity to flow, uninterrupted to the canvas.

All Creations Great and Small

Station Gallery, Richmond : http://www.richmondstation.com/art.asp

There's another chance to see the exhibition in Richmond, North Yorkshire between 31st October and 11th November. Please come along.

All Creations Great and Small

Inspired By… Gallery : http://www.northyorkmoors.org.uk/visiting/see-and-do/inspired-by-gallery

17th April 2015 – 4th May 2015

“Where Have All the Colours Gone?”

Earlier this year I was invited to join a group of artists, Robert Dutton, Jo Garlick and Steff Ottevanger, for an art exhibition titled All Creations Great and Small. The Inspired by… Gallery at The Moors National Park Centre, Danby accepted Robert’s proposal in August and a date was set for 17th April to 4th May 2015

This is an exciting opportunity for us all. The gallery is a big space with a light and airy shop and craft area.

I live in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and was brought up in County Durham on a farm. Although I love town life now, escaping in to the country means time off and quite often a holiday. Whitby and the North Yorkshire Moors have been a favourite destination since I was a child. Now we take our daughter and she loves it too.

I am reminded of something she said when she was little more than a toddler. Driving over the moors towards Sleights one late summer evening in a dense fog, a little voice piped up from the back of the car asking ‘Where have all the colours gone?’ The mist was low, the sky was dark and I think she was thinking ‘this ain’t no summer holiday!’ I was disappointed too: the purple heather and rolling hills were not visible at all, let alone the sunshine. We had to meander to avoid a wandering sheep and I told her hopefully that we’d see the sea soon. Dropping down off the moors in to Sleights, summer began to emerge again and as we drove on towards the coast we had our first glimpse of blue sea – phew!

The following day a stunning contrast was revealed when bright sunshine returned to the moors. We visited the nature reserve at Fen Bog where the only interruption in an azure-blue sky was the plume of white smoke rising from a passing steam train. A whinchat perched on top of a fence post and took flight as the train rumbled past and rolled down in to the valley. All around, a multitude of greens was punctuated by the yellow of gorse or the orange of a Small Skipper.

I think it’s these family memories and the exciting, ever-changing landscape that continues to inspire me to paint this area. My background in Printed Textiles at Leeds College of Art has given me a fascination with vibrant colour, abstract shapes and texture. During my course I was forever trying to capture different landscapes, seascapes and rocks with a myriad of marks and lines. I am captivated by the beauty of a native bird or butterfly and enjoy including these in my work.

Whatever it is about the pull to this beautiful area, we all feel it in different ways. I love the fact that we all concentrate on different aspects of it, we all work in different ways and yet it is the same subject that attracts us over and over again.

Helen Patterson

Harrogate, 23rd November 2014