Helen Phoenix — her first name means light, warm, and shining; her surname is destined to take all birds under her creative wing.
The phoenix is a mythological, immortal bird that appears in Greek, Egyptian and Persian folklore. Being associated with the sun, it resembles the Greek legend of Icarus, who flew too close to its rays and burned his wings. The story of Icarus symbolises human frailty in trying to achieve something impossible. In the case of the phoenix, the spectacular burning process is a renewal, and cleansing is necessary to be reborn and raised again through the ashes, symbolising the death of the old.
With the names read together, it could translate to shining the light on the old and new. With the phoenix component, it is no surprise that her obsession with all things bird-related.
Helen says: “Hope is a thing with feathers. Across cultures, mythologies and folklore, birds embody many roles — symbols of freedom, messengers between worlds and signals of change. All of these elements influence my work. I love to explore the interaction of nature with the human spirit.”
Through her paintings, the bird characters develop distinct personalities, showcasing her daily observations and interactions with her feathered friends who surround her. She is mindful that 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.
What she is doing is capturing aspects of a bird’s character, as evidenced by her use of titles like Mine is the Morning, depicting the blackbird’s preferred time of day; Curiosity to describe the robin’s inquisitive traits; and Twilight Dance to recognise the gestures and movement of the swifts.
Helen’s paintings have luxurious qualities achieved using an ancient egg tempera technique. It was primarily used in medieval paintings until the late Renaissance when oil paints superseded it. Dry pigments are mixed with egg yolk, which acts as a binder.
To maintain the paint’s consistency, the mixture must be continuously adjusted with distilled water and vinegar. 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’. Enhancing her pieces with the luminosity of the gold brings vibrancy and enhances the ethereal quality of the final work.
The aim is for her works to be joyfully reflective and to ask us to pay a little more attention to the birds.
Helen is an acclaimed artist who has been selected for the Royal Academy Summer Show. Her paintings are held in private collections and owned by celebrities such as Jonathan Ross and Dawn French.
Kellie Miller is an artist, curator, critic and gallery owner.
www.kelliemillerarts.com
