Helen Lush works in pencil, oil pastel and watercolour, drawing inspiration from the texture, colour and mood she finds in her subjects and from the qualities peculiar to the media themselves. Landscapes, gardens and street scenes are all given a semi-abstracted treatment with a strong sense of place. Often, a fascination with the subject will result in it being painted many times, variations being developed from peculiarites in the initial wash of colour.

Born in County Durham, Helen trained at Loughborough College of Art and Design, leaving with a 2:1 Honours Degree in Textile Design in 1982. She moved to South Wales in 1984 and lives in Cardiff to the present day. She is a member of the group of artists and makers who have run the Cardiff Gallery, Oriel Makers, since 1991. This summer, Oriel Makers exhibited at the National Eisteddfod in Cardiff. She has exhibited her work in galleries in England and Wales and puts on a Summer Exhibition of new work in Oriel Makers every year. In 2004 she took time out to gain a qualification in Garden Design and to travel to India and Italy all of which have made an impact on her work.

In recent years Helen has been working on a series of paintings and drawings which reflect her lifelong love and interest in plants and garden design. Many of these works dramatise single flower heads against intense colour. Others incorporate the artist's own garden designs and words. This resulted in the exhibition "Botanica 2" shown in Oriel Makers in July and August this year which she plans to tour to other venues. See Commissions page if you would like to commission a bespoke painting. Many of the paintings featured on this site are also available as prints: for more details please email Helen.