I’ve posted about dk Gallery before and you know it’s a place I hold near and dear to my heart. If you live in the Atlanta area and especially if you think you must stay inside the perimeter to find amazing contemporary fine art, you must visit this gallery. Recently, I was honored to attend an art talk given by Helen DeRamus, one of my favorite artists at dk. Today, I’d like to share a few of Helen’s pieces with you. The photos will do the artwork no justice what so ever, so you must try and see them in person.
Helen shared with us the inspiration behind her latest work. “My passion for color and texture lives in my paintings. I love the Southern landscape: rural and urban, architecture and organic. My senses gravitate to lush vegetation, flowers, trees, and the red clay earth seen through the filter of white-hot light, heat and the humidity that you feel and see. My current series explores the atmosphere of that landscape, its growth, generation, proliferation, and regeneration, through the use of hot wax, resin and pigments known as encaustic paint. The atmosphere I seek to create is much like that created by poets and novelists from whom I am often inspired.”
In this piece you can see an example of Helen’s other talent which is photography. She places the photos onto her artwork and works the wax, resin and color pigment onto and around them. They appear as a one once the piece is complete. I loved hearing her talk about stopping the car and grabbing her camera to take the perfect picture. Helen’s artwork is so moving that it seems you can feel what she was feeling as she worked.
The last 2 pieces are from previous collections of Helen’s, but they I wanted to include them because they are so beautiful.
Do you have any original artwork in your home? It doesn’t matter if it’s expensive or not. Does it move you? Does it make you feel something when you look at it? That’s what artwork should do. Art makes your home feel like you. Anyone can fill their home with pretty things, but it’s more difficult to find pieces that move you, that speak to you. That’s my challenge to you today. Don’t just buy a piece of art to fill your walls. Be patient and find the piece that moves you. Search your local galleries, etsy or make your own. I promise it will be worth it.
Have a great day!
How interesting! I love that layered piece that mixes in Helen’s photography, and that is passion when you pull over to capture that photo you know you want. I actually don’t have any originals or much artwork at all because I’m waiting for those perfect pieces of art. I purposely didn’t just buy stuff because I really wanted to love what I bought for our home. I have been searching out a few originals on Etsy but I haven’t actually bought anything yet. We have a few craft festivals in the spring/summer in Philadelphia so I’m hoping to find something there as well.
Wow! those are just beautiful.
This is exactly where I am right now.,..searching and trying to expose myself to all of the art I can. I’m ready to discover what moves me, what I’m drawn too. For so many years I just avoided it because I felt I had no taste at all. But now I truly want to fill my walls with what I love. So I’ve decided that when I see small pieces at auctions, etc. that if I like it, I buy it. See how it all comes together. Soon I hope to make that ‘big’ lifetime art purchase when I understand my leanings better. Great post, Helen’s art is truly lovely!