Nan Helscher
I enjoy manipulating surfaces. Blending my oils with different mediums gives me opportunities to achieve textural interest without looking rough. Cold wax extends the oils and allows for layers of color to build up subtlety. I do not use brushes, but enjoy brayers, spatulas, palette knives- anything that “moves” the mixture around on the gessoed boards.
Layering is very much a part of my work and I often remove layers that I’ve built up. There may be a great pop of color buried that I can later expose. A piece can take weeks to complete depending on the complexity, drying time and the number of layers.
While I create pieces from simply envisioning the subject, while my emotions and surroundings also play a role. My goal is to create a piece that stirs an emotion. I often find using different hues of the same color calming. My work is a reflection of what nature provides us, with little need to embellish further.
