Untitled Document

Helena Hill-Wilson

Already a commited Artist in her teens, Helena Hill-Wilson (Staufenberg) had her first exhibition of sculpture and photography 1979 at King Alfred's College, Winchester, England. Here she obtained a B. Ed. Degree majoring in Art and Design (Lower age range). She has taught Art and Craft in England, and International Schools in Germany.

Producing a regular out put of art work was curtailed while bringing up a son and daughter. The pressures of time and expenditure have dictated a change to painting rather than sculpture. Able to paint regularly, for the last year has produced more than 25 works. She lives with her husband, two children, her dog and two cats at Starnberg See, Germany.

Helena in the news:

Here are two articles that appeared in a German newspaper: Aktionstag and Kuntspreis

Westlicher Landkreis/Kultur, Transparenz, Offenheit, Veränderung und Wandel, STA 18, 20 September 2005. A translation of this newspaper article is available here.

Why I paint

All people are creative from birth. It is one of the many wonderful gifts that God has given us. As a teacher, it is my job to bring out this creativity in each child. In the process, they begin to get to know who they are. Painting is just one of many ways of expressing this creativity. With today's technology, the possibility to create any images is endless.

Unfortunately, much of the content of the media is aggressive or vulgar in nature, and, through constant repetition, becomes imprinted on our minds. In my own painting, my aim is to communicate with all types of people in a way that will illuminate the dark places in this present day world.

In my work, I try to give back what spoke to me at the time, in the hope that it will strike a chord with those who have had the same experience, or even to express ideas that others can contemplate and develop.

How I paint

The different styles that I use are dictated by the feeling/idea that I am trying to create. I use oil, acrylic, pastels, etc. canvass, card, backs of old wardrobes to work on. I like the finished product not to be completely perfect. For me it doesn't matter if the finished picture has a hole in it, because in nature itself the most beautiful things are not perfect. A word that I often use with my pupils is serendipity, which means a happy accident that can then be used.

My work is mostly representational and of a '3 D type' because sculpture comes easily to me. But with my time restriction of being a mother and teaching, painting is all I can do at present. However, when I see, hear or experience something that moves me, it stays inside me until I have to put it down in a static form ... at present colour.