Experimental Fluid Media
Helen Henderson is another of our amazing CQ Shopfront participating artists based in the Bundaberg Region. Helen shares her story of uncovering a love for flow mediums and how she is building her business.
How did you get started in your art practice?
I discovered my love of art whilst demonstrating and promoting products at shows and expos around Australia with my promotions and marketing business about 20 years ago. The opportunity to learn many new skills with a variety of art and craft products kick started my journey of discovery experimenting with various mediums.
Having to leave my work as a tour guide about 10 years ago for medical reasons, I decided to focus on my art and the skills I had learned to keep me focussed on being creative and positive. Once started the passion took hold and with the development of new skills and a mounting body of work and products I decided to take my practice to the next level and start my business.
What are the key inspirations behind your work?
As an artist with Aphantasia (the inability to mentally visualise) and therefore not able to visually imagine the outcome of an artwork, my discovery of flow mediums such as Resin, encaustic and acrylic pouring became my main focus. My process suits the experimental and spontaneous nature of these mediums whilst allowing me the ability to use my skills to manipulate to gain a very logically planned outcome. I am inspired by feeling my way with bright, vibrant colours to hyper-accentuate nature and landscapes. Not everyone can afford a large artwork so sharing my passion by producing original art on functional products allows many more people to appreciate it and enjoy a unique piece of work.
What is the business model and products that you are aiming to develop through participating in the CQ Shopfront project?
The CQ Shopfront program has encouraged me to broaden my focus and plan to expand and evolve from purely a making and selling model to one which includes teaching my art, thus diversifying and expanding my income streams. This opens a new market and new ways of targeting and selling my products. Developing a new product range by producing complimenting artworks, mirrors and homewares to provide cohesive home decorating options rather than just individual pieces is also a model I am working towards.
What dreams do you have for the future of your practice?
Down the track I would like to develop a Gallery with workshop space devoted to Resin and the Fluid arts. Holding workshops teaching and encouraging others to make their own beautiful works seems a natural progression to my practice. I have a passion and goal to produce and promote resin art as a fine art and see it acknowledged and hung in major galleries.