Mixed Motivations

Victoria’s Helen Miles finds her involvement in art therapeutic, frustrating, provoking, tiring, and incredibly exciting … but above all, art is an integral part of who she is.

Helen’s love of the creative has been a driving force for most of her life. This lady was born in Melbourne, and she treasures an early recollection of her intense interest in painting (in art class at high school); although having a huge crush on her art teacher at the time may have influenced her interest. Any instruction given by that man was greeted with nods and blushes … so she doesn’t really know how much knowledge she gained from his classes!

Helen’s mother died when she was 18 years old. Consequently working full-time and trying to look after her father and two younger brothers took up most of her time and energy. Hence most (but not all) of her creative interests were put on hold. After marrying and having two wonderful children, Helen’s desire to paint increased; but again the intensity of her focus was mostly postponed until her children began school.

Being self taught, Helen Miles finds that the wonder of colour – both intense and delicate – stimulates her senses and charges her creative urges. Over the last 30 years she has thrived on discovering her unique approach to a wide variety of subjects including landscapes, seascapes, floral images, bird and animal studies, as well as the whimsical and the alternative.

Pastels, acrylics and watercolours have emerged as her most used mediums, but she occasionally experiments with everything and anything and is fascinated at the surprising and sometimes pleasing results.

While Helen enjoys traditional and representational painting, she occasionally tests her capabilities and pushes her boundaries into the more contemporary and abstract fields.

When she is not travelling throughout Australia admiring and painting our wonderful country, the magnificent Great Dividing Range near where she lives supplies Helen with a myriad of painting possibilities.

Time means nothing while this clever lady is working in her studio. She has, at times, been known to forget to feed her husband (and herself), and often arrives back in the house looking like a multicoloured ghost after pastel painting. Helen enjoys the silence and solitude of her own studio space where she can experiment and paint without interruption.

While operating her successful gallery in Melbourne in the early 1990s,

Helen’s watercolour and pastel series of Australian butterflies and flora proved very popular with locals and overseas visitors. The gallery also showcased some of Australia’s well known and emerging artists in regular exhibitions.

Another of Helen’s passions is writing. Her children’s books, stories and poetry have been published in the educational and media arenas throughout the world. The thought of

an impressionable young person reading, enjoying and hopefully learning from her words is an ongoing source of delight and accomplishment.

Helen has taught painting professionally and privately over many years and her commitment and passion for art is revealed in her involvement in a variety of art societies and committees. She is a member of the Australian Guild of Realist Artists; past Secretary and President of the Kilmore Art Society Inc; a member of the Seymour and District Art Society Inc and the Heathcote Artists Inc; past member of the Victorian Artists Society and the Victorian Pastel Society; and a committee member of the Mitchell Shire Arts and Cultural Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the organising committee of the Kilmore Art Expo which held its inaugural show in 2008.

Helen Miles finds her involvement in art therapeutic, frustrating, provoking, tiring, incredibly exciting, and (above all) an integral part of who she is. Sales of her paintings along with awards received encourage Helen to continue to improve. She has entered and sold her works at numerous art shows over many years. She has won more than 70 awards and prizes.

This artist’s work hangs in private collections throughout Australia; and also in Japan, the USA, New Zealand and Denmark. ■