Helen Ireland was born in Cheltenham but spent her early years in Singapore and North Yorkshire. After her Foundation in Art in Scarborough she came to London and studied Fine Art Painting at Central Saint Martins in the 1980s and an MA at Chelsea School of Art. She was the Drawing Fellow at Winchester School of Art and then taught for many years on the foundation course at Hertfordshire University, whilst also working freelance as a graphic designer for John Hartley and Partners. She co- founded Cubitt Artists studio and gallery in 1990, recently appearing in the documentary film made by Morgan Quaintance; ‘Cubitt 25 Years: An Artist Led History’ at the ICA. She was also a founder member of Gasworks studio, Triangle Arts Trust, where she had her studio for ten years and organised collaborative exhibitions in London and abroad. She travelled to Namibia , taking part in one of the first international workshops in 1995. She has since had residences in Georgia and at Quartair in the Hague, Netherlands, where she spent 3 months as a visiting artist. She moved to East Dulwich in 2003 when her children were born. And has since worked from her studio at home, taking part in the Dulwich Artists’ Open House for the last 10 years. Helen has taught on many group and community projects, most notably the Rivers of the World programme on the Southbank funded by the British Council for 5 years. This was Thames Festival Trust’s flagship art and education project working with schools in London and abroad. She has also worked on the City Year project at The National Gallery. Helen Ireland has been in many group exhibitions in the UK and abroad. In the 1990’s she was a member of the group ‘Disparities’ which toured galleries around the UK. Her work work is held in many private and public collections including British Land, FORTE, Arthur Andersen, New Hall Cambridge University, UNESCO and British Airways.
My most recent work during the last year has been largely exploring ideas around pattern and geometric shapes with the use of the grid. The work mainly is about internal or external spaces through the use of abstract shape and colour.
I divide the paper up with pencil and use layers of watercolour and gouache to build up a texture so the colour becomes both deep and transparent. Through repeating washes of colour one can built up a weight which gives the work a handmade quality which I want, it’s the imperfection that I am drawn to. I have always been interested in grids and like to find equivalents in the landscape and in a domestic setting. Through the act of making and repetition work changes, bricks in buildings are different, a tree with the same leaf, each one is slightly different. I want to achieve this slight differences in the way of geometric pattern in my work. A triangle or square on first looking are the same but are slightly different because of the use of painting and line. Relationships between shapes can change through contrast and harmony, and through use of colour and paint which create a pace and rhythm.
My most recent work during the last year has been largely exploring ideas around pattern and geometric shapes with the use of the grid. The work mainly is about internal or external spaces through the use of abstract shape and colour.
I divide the paper up with pencil and use layers of watercolour and gouache to build up a texture so the colour becomes both deep and transparent. Through repeating washes of colour one can built up a weight which gives the work a handmade quality which I want, it’s the imperfection that I am drawn to. I have always been interested in grids and like to find equivalents in the landscape and in a domestic setting. Through the act of making and repetition work changes, bricks in buildings are different, a tree with the same leaf, each one is slightly different. I want to achieve this slight differences in the way of geometric pattern in my work. A triangle or square on first looking are the same but are slightly different because of the use of painting and line. Relationships between shapes can change through contrast and harmony, and through use of colour and paint which create a pace and rhythm.
