Helen Blair B.Arch. M.R.I.A.I.
I am a Dublin based artist who originally qualified as an architect. I retired as an Architect in 2009 and I now work full-time as an artist. Because of my background as an architect, I specialise in providing tailor-made commissions for buildings where large or unusual sized pieces are required. I am also available to provide advice to architects, developers or homeowners on acquiring suitable artworks for their buildings or homes.
I have exhibited in several group shows and three solo exhibitions. I am inspired by elements of nature - mainly sea, sky and stars. Much of my work is based on the theme of Creation, exploring our origins, the relationship between the human and the cosmos and the interconnectedness of everything under the sun.
I have always been captivated by vibrant colour and I use colour as a way of connecting once again with the joy of creation. Oils, acrylics, mica dust, pigments, plaster, wool and other fabrics, and other media are used to build up a deeply layered and textured surface where gold leaf or gold pigment is glimpsed through the paintwork. This draws the viewer into the deepest layers of the painting: a symbolic exploration into the gold or divine essence within each one of us, or perhaps a view of the world beyond the physical.