helvi smith
  • helvi-blog
  • About
  • Gallery Representation
  • Contact me

Art can be a sticky business

5/29/2025

1 Comment

 
A few years ago I saw paint samples that were about 8x11" and were peel and stick samples.   I bought some for the heck of it and painted on them.   I was thinking they would be great for fridges and walls and mirrors and and and...

So a couple of weeks ago I thought it would be fun to do that again.  However.  The prices on those samples went up a lot!  So that was not gonna work.    Got me to thinking.   I had heard of peel and stick wallpaper, and that turns out to be a much better value.   Bought some and got busy.
Picture

I painted black stripes on the wallpaper and then cut this into long 5" wide strips.

Picture

The idea worked great.   But this was a little, uh, meh.

Picture

The next door frame I painted the wallpaper with a more interesting pattern.   I was liking this! 

I painted bright colorful graphics, then cut this into 5" long strips and then cut those strips into sections.  The fun part was about to begin!  I turned all those sections upside down and shuffled them.  Then picked up random pieces and started putting them on the door frame.

Picture

I know this is not for everybody, but I really like it!  I am already painting the next one.  :)

1 Comment

April 28th, 2025

4/28/2025

1 Comment

 
Picture
Mr. Mooney is a basic colored cat.   Black and white.  No tail, really,   Just a stub.  
That is the Manx part of him.
He has bountiful dreams and tells me all about them as he follows me
everywhere in the house. 
Here are the latest dreams he has described and my interpretation
​of those dreams to canvas.
Picture

Mr. Mooney Dreams of Palm Springs Modernism Week

He loves mid century fashions and styles and Rummer homes.  He says the drawback to mid century furnishings is that there are no big fat overstuffed chairs to lounge on. 
Picture

Mr. Mooney Dreamed of Far Off Places

Mr. Mooney watches travel shows and he also loves documentaries.   So often, when he dreams, the two sometimes disparate styles can mesh as only they can in dreams.
Picture

Mr. Mooney's Dreams After the Party

Too many Churus will cause a kitty to have crazy dreams for sure!  See for yourself!
1 Comment

Flat is where it's at

2/13/2025

0 Comments

 
I really like painting on flat unstretched canvas and I like painting larger paintings too.   So why did I start painting so many smaller works on 8x10 or 16x20 stretched canvases?    I think I was just painting for the market and thinking that the price point would be less than a larger painting.  Did it make me as happy as I like to be?   No.

So this year I decided to paint the way I prefer.
​
Here are a few that I have completed so far.   I really like them and hope you do too.
Picture

"Mr. Mooney's Dream After Eating That Gummy"
​38"x29" painted on flat canvas

Picture

"Mr. Mooney's Retro Dream"
​31" x 29.5" painted on flat canvas

Picture

Mr Mooney's Dream After Watching That Documentary About Quantum Physics"
42" X 27"
Acrylic paint on flat canvas
(The canvas edge is really white.  Not sure why my camera did not capture that well.)

0 Comments

Ooopsie.    I am still painting. Forgot to update website!

1/2/2025

0 Comments

 
Picture
Still working with the black and white theme.   Still having fun!    This is an iPad painting.   I busted my leg by tripping over the black and white cat and for months, I have been making iPad art.   
Picture
Picture
After over 2 months of not being able to walk or stand much, I started painting again.  
These are painted on unstretched canvas.  
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

What is black and white and not red (read) all over?

6/29/2024

2 Comments

 
Picture
Picture
Picture
I really like lots of color.  So I surprised myself lately by doing black and white.
The graphic quality of these has inspired me.
So I painted a BUNCH more!

Picture
Picture
I had to add a little color to see the effect.   Not bad.
2 Comments

Fishing

5/26/2024

0 Comments

 
I have been thinking about sardines.  I don't even like sardines.   But those fish all lined up look kinda cool.  The tins they come in, well they can be very inspiring.  This is the only part of this painting I liked.  
Picture
The online workshop I have been taking has taken a lot of my free time, and it has been quite interesting for sure.
Here are some fish paintings I did very recently.     The workshop is mostly taught using abstract paintings, but I wanted to do it in my own odd whimsical way.
  
Oops!  Almost forgot this one that I did at my local art gallery, Valley Art, for Print Day in May.   Magnets are holding this one on my dishwasher.
Picture
0 Comments

Taking Time Out For Learning

4/10/2024

0 Comments

 
I am taking a 3 month online art workshop and because I am self taught, there seems to be a few things I could learn. 
Usually I paint things that kind of look like things, albeit in a wonky way.   But in this learning phase, I am doing more abstract things.   Take it from me, doing a GOOD abstract can be crazy challenging.   But I am plugging along!   
Picture
Part of the workshop is to have a painting journal.  I resisted at first, but then found out that uh, I like it!
Picture
Picture
Picture
0 Comments

Spring cleaning and a bit of this and that

3/19/2024

2 Comments

 
Picture

Well.   I had far more canvases tucked away in my studio area than I thought.  haha!  

Picture
I don't often paint abstracts, and I thought it would be fun to try one last week.   
There is a small group of working artists and we got together for a critique afternoon and I got some good ideas and applied them to this painting.  It is now done!
Picture
I painted this years ago and just ran across it in my photos yesterday.   I like it and may revisit this kind of idea again.  Fun to be inspired by my own art!
2 Comments

Klaatu Barada Nikto

12/21/2023

0 Comments

 
Picture
 BIG ROBOT.   
I put this on the wall to look and see what it needs next.  
Hmmmm...

Picture
Another BIG ROBOT.
Looks like this will turn into a series!
​

Picture
Besides painting BIG ROBOTS I am putting up lots of art on the walls of my "gallery."
0 Comments

Shrinky Dinks are BIG Fun!

11/21/2023

1 Comment

 
I just finished a commission for a Shrinky Dink piece of art.
It was for a book club with 5 women.
It was very challenging and that made it more fun in a way.
It gave me techniques and ideas for more artworks.
Now that this is done, I am making Shrink-Bot and Shrinky Robot-Kitties!
1 Comment
<<Previous

    I post on Facebook  and Instagram all the time about what I am working on.  Click on the BLUE links and check it out!

    Subscribe to my mailing list - no spam!

    * indicates required

    Archives

    April 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    September 2023
    July 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    July 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    January 2022
    November 2021
    May 2021
    February 2021
    November 2020
    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    January 2020
    November 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    August 2018
    July 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    August 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    October 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011
    January 2011
    December 2010
    November 2010
    October 2010
    September 2010
    August 2010
    July 2010
    June 2010
    May 2010

    RSS Feed