Helen Andrade: Colourful Expression in Motion

Art Lovers | 14 February 2023

Written by Anna Itkonen

Expressive like Pollock, emotive like Bacon and symbolic like O’Keefe, Melbourne artist Helen Andrade’s works capture energy and emotion through motion, colour and shape.

Helen describes her art practice as driven by gut feelings, and influenced by the natural environment around her, develops naturally into organic shapes in vibrant and emotive colours.

Lively Inner Life | 61 x76cm, Acrylic & oil stick on canvas

“Each painting is an exciting journey. I have faith in my process and know I will have something new at the end of it, yet at the beginning, it’s unknown to me. I’m very interested in the world around me, I often need to visit a beach or a bushland every now and then to reconnect and let myself be inspired. Having grown up with lots of camping holidays as a child, I learnt to really appreciate the emotional strengthening derived from time alone in a natural setting.”

Heartfelt | 36 x 28cm, Acrylic on canvas

Spontaneous yet considered, Helen’s works often emerge from her drawings and quick sketches. Atmosphere is something we can feel, it is luminous within the works and radiates from the canvas. We almost feel like we are there with her, walking along down a forest path or sitting by a tranquil riverbank. We also get a sense of all the emotion that goes into the works through the thickly applied paint and layering of colour in considered brush strokes. Helen often will do quick sketches of people on trains, at galleries, in parks or just going about their days. It’s when people are lost in their thoughts and people within varying environments and contexts that give her great inspiration. Atmosphere also gives a great amount of context, to get down as much detail of the scene or figure as possible before they move, gives a sense of urgency and temporality to the whole moment.

Immersed in Beauty | 28 x 35.5cm, Acrylic on canvas

“My process is intuitive. Sometimes I work over the top of something half finished, using the energy of the previous piece to bounce off. I get strong gut feelings that guide my work, I am so involved in my responses to what is on my canvas, what is occurring inside me, that I become completely lost and absorbed. It takes me a while to come down to earth after painting! The human figure is sometimes more of a stimulus for me and the end result is not always an obvious figurative piece, but the energy of the human interaction in a creative way has helped me to reach that conclusion. There is a combination or a meeting of the inner and outer worlds in my work. Sometimes chaotic but also meditative and magical.”

Alice on the Other Side of the Looking Glass | 50 x 40cm, Acrylic & oil stick on canvas

Helen notes her travels and experiences as very influential on her art. Backpacking across Australia for 6 months and various European travels have all influenced her work. Her appreciation for light and colour was influenced by her travels to Katherine Gorge and watching how the sun rose over the rivers and waterways. Helen’s works are also imbued with a culmination of all the stories, histories and traditions she’s heard along her travels.

“My works are filled with layers of all my experiences. All the fascinating histories I’ve learnt, the amazing cities I’ve visited and seeing the places my ancestors once lived. I love looking at different cultures, and I think this feeds my art. Being open to experiences, nature and people and their individualities.”

The Hills are Alive | 71 x 51cm, Acrylic on canvas

Growing up around art with her father’s watercolour landscapes, Helen developed a natural love for art classes for the variety of things she could create.

“I remember even at the age of six enjoying flicking paint on paper and being amazed at the effect this could create. At high school I truly began my strong love of art, art classes being a time I could really be myself and dig deep into my imagination.”

Shimmering Ambiance | 40.5 x 30.5cm, Acrylic on canvas

After studying art therapy at La Trobe University, Helen knows well the healing benefits of art and sharing the process of making art with a community. For her, it’s a humbling experience to help others with their art and to listen to others’ individual experiences.

“I find the creative process very exciting but also very deep. I’ve worked with people with care and am humbled by the way art can help people to retain and express individuality and uniqueness. I feel honoured to work with others in their personal and artistic journeys. I really feel that all my work in art therapy has added to my own art practice, tuning me into myself and the world around me with more awareness.”

Life River Flowing | 40 x 30cm, Acrylic & marker on canvas

During her years completing a Diploma of Visual Arts, studying Fine Art at RMIT and postgraduate studies in art therapy, Helen thrived amongst like-minded artists and creatives. She’s been part of a number of individual and group shows, exhibitions and competitions across Australia.

Golden Glowing Forever Amber | 55.5 x 71cm, Acrylic on stretched canvas

Helen notes a number of artists as inspiration for her works. The gestural markings and overwhelming emotion that can be felt in abstract expressionist works and the animated marks of the neo-expressionists all influence her works. Using techniques developed throughout the last century, Helen’s works explore themes of connection, self-worth, inner and outer experiences, healing and self-expression through outward bodily gestures.

We can see so many stimuluses that have influenced Helen through her works, from works by Oska Kokoschka and De Kooning, Helen Frankenthaler, Georgia O’Keefe, the Fauves, Richard Deibenkorn, Frida Kahlo and Francis Bacon, just to name a few.

Powerful Presence | 40.5 x 40cm, Acrylic and marker on canvas

“I have found that ‘strange’ place between complete abstraction and figuration where I like to sit, so my art is often quite ambiguous and an abstracted view of the world, a bit surreal. I experiment with something every piece I do. My intuition guides me.”