Helen Davison

My working methods

I work mainly in acrylics, as I like their versatility - they can be used like watercolours or oils, depending on the finish required. However, I will try anything once, and am quite willing to take on a commission for someone if a particular idea springs to mind.

My work is usually done on deep edged box-framed canvases, which eliminates the need for additional framing. This is a very popular format currently as it creates a very minimalist look on the wall. Having said that, I also do paintings on acrylic card and boards, which I can arrange to have framed prior to dispatch if you prefer. If you take a look through my gallery, you will notice that some of my paintings have already been framed ready to sell - "Hornbill" for example, plus "Freak Handles", and "Testing The Water",

I tend to have a variety of subject matters from which I draw inspiration - my style is not restricted to just one subject. I think that would, quite simply, bore me silly! I need variety in all walks of my life and since I always have more than one painting on the go at any given time, it helps that my subjects are so wide. I do, however, have a fascination with faces, expressions and the naked figure, as I think the shapes created by our bodies are so lovely to look at. I also like to explore different textures within a painting, despite the subject matter, so I try to include some texture in every piece I create - whether I am using acrylic paints or pencils.

I sometimes utilise collage-effects within my paintings, such as in "Exhibere Papillas" where I stuck some woodchip wallpaper onto the canvas prior to painting it,as part of the figure's clothing. I think this sort of effect creates a very textural look - I want my paintings to be touched as well as looked at - they are a very tactile item in the creation process so should be the same once complete!

My other main love is of bright colours and bold lines - I cannot imagine I would ever get to grips with an impressionistic style of painting as my leaning is far more towards the neat, precise brush strokes and lines such as my "A Bit of Orange" or "Not Everything Is Black and White". I do occasionally let rip with the palette knife and stray from my usual neat style, as can be seen with my "Abstract in Jet & Emerald", but more often than not I create images with several straight edges.