Blog Posts

Getting back on that bike.

3/27/2019

Time to get ready to begin painting in earnest again.

Just cleaned off my paint table and planning on painting something tonight. Not quite sure what. But something for sure.

I forgot how fun the paint table top is. It is a piece of canvas and I switch it out every few years. I can see colors and edge shapes and remember what I was painting at that time.

Here are some photos!

Not brave, just determined.

1/14/2019

Last year I got sick.

No fun.

Just now getting back to where I can see my (not) so "normal life in front of me.

I got home two days ago after about 4 months of being in a hospital and then a rehab facility.

Ain't nothing gonna make you want to get home sooner than being in a rehab place.

I learned that a place like that is absolutely not where I ever want to be again.

The staff was nice, the occupants were so varied in their reasons for being there.

One woman in my hallway yelled pretty much all the time she was awake.

She had some POWERFUL lungs and a thick sort of Bronx accent.

HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME HELP ME!

Oh. man.

I often had to close my door and turn up my music so I could have some peace.

I painted there in rehab almost every day.

I used the bed as a table for artwork to dry on.

I painted a lot of hand painted greeting cards.

Lots of cards! These are still in progress.

This was one of my favorite paintings I did there. I am considering having this image printed on clothing. I will certainly make some greeting cards with this image.

Wowls.

8/20/2018

I am working on a series of owls and a facebook friend called them "wowls."
Loved that name - so I am using it with her permission.
These can be made into prints and I will be making some greeting cards and prints on tiles with these images.
They are SO fun to make!

Do What You Can

7/30/2018

I have been through a rough patch health-wise and am getting better. I have not painted on canvas for the longest time that I can recall since I started painting.
Luckily, as my energy is retuning, I can paint on my iPad.
The digital painting is really more difficult than with real paint and canvas,
Weird, eh?

These can be made into prints, or greeting cards and some will be made into prints on tiles.
I am getting antsy to paint with real paint again, so these will transform onto canvas in some manner.
I can hardly wait!

Pears to the left of me.

2/18/2018

There is something about pears lately.
I have been painting a lot of them in all their wonky gloriousness.
Some look like figs, and they may well be figs. I just apply the paint as directed by the muses.

I like mid century and have been playing with mid century sorta styled vases to go with the fruits.

I was getting tired of making pears, so I decided to use my left hand to paint with.
Just for the heck of it.

I found my left hand getting too "smart" so I am taking a break from being a lefty!

Mid Century Madness

12/8/2017

I like mid century design. All kinds. The furniture - the colors - the everything pretty much...

I used to collect Cathrinholm enamelware dishes. I sold almost all of them a year or so ago. . That lotus pattern on the dishes still stays in my mind however.

This is not an exact copy of the lotus pattern. Just my interpretation of it. These are paintings I am working on.

More that I am working on.

More and more and more! Still in progress on most of these.

Thinking small and affordable

10/2/2017

I understand that not everyone can buy a painting for $200-$2000...

Wish that they could!

I am part of the Washington County Open Art Studio Tours on October 21st and 22nd, and I thought it might be fun to try some affordable (very affordable) options besides the greeting cards that I always have in stock so folks can have a little piece of Helvi art.

Prints!

Prints on tiles!

Here are some that are drying after I applied the print to the tile. I will paint the edges and put a bracket on the back.

The price per tile is $8 plus shipping, if applicable.

I have ordered a bunch more prints and can hardly wait to make these and have them in stock!

These are 4" X 4" prints on ceramic tiles.

I am also painting some 4" X 4" square canvas mid-century inspired art. These sell for $40 each.

Functional Art is Fun!

8/6/2017

Over the years I have had many people tell me that my artwork would translate well into fabric design.
Finally, the technology has come to a point where I can translate my art to clothing and hats and bags and scarves.
SO FUN!
The company that makes the items from my original art creates them in Canada and will print them, sew them and send them directly to you. It is amazing and the quality and price are pretty fab too.

Here is a painting of mine.

Here it is as a tote bag,

Here is the original painting.

Here it is as leggings.

If you want to see the products I have listed so far...
Go here: artofwhere.com/shop?sort=popular&search=helvi+smith

Thanks!

If you build it...

5/5/2017

I am still on an urban-ish mid century inspired sort of trend, and having a blast!
Here is what I have been painting in the last few weeks...

My World is Flat

4/20/2017

I used to paint on un-stretched canvas and sorta fell out of the habit. Just a week or so ago, while moving stuff from here to there, I ran across a big bolt of canvas and decided to paint flat again.

I love it. Really really love it.

I lay down a piece of canvas on my table and "draw" patterns with my paint filled squeeze bottle.
I do not plan ahead.
I go where the muses take me.

Paint in some colors that please me...

Paint in more colors...

I have a template to put around the flat canvas so I can see where the edges are when it gets stretched. I am selling this un-stretched for easy shipping.
I liked this so much, I am off and painting on the next one!

Different colors and a definite mid century look to this.

I am having a blast!

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