Undercurrents III

Helen Carter is drawn to the vast range of scenery the word ‘landscape’ encompasses, finding it to be a continuing source of inspiration and intrigue.
Interested in finding something from nothing, Helen is concerned with gently teasing the painting out from the board, as an act of discovery rather than description. Experimentation with the relationship between turpentine and oil paint is therefore integral to her painting process. She is fascinated by the range of textures and effects that can be created by washing and dripping turpentine onto layers of paint, and by rubbing back into the paint. The unpredictable reactions between the turpentine and oil paint results in a lessening of control, allowing Helen to see visual possibilities that I had not previously considered. 

Through painting and print, Helen is developing a visual language to explore her own moments of escapism and self-reflection. Her paintings are not simply landscapes; they are meditations on what could be or what might be.