Helena Godwin

OPEN STUDIOS

Warwickshire OpenStudios Brochure. Venue 84

Open
Weekdays 24th & 25th June, 1st & 2nd July 11am-5pm
Tues-Friday 27th-30th 12pm-4pm

The White House, Rockmill Lane, Leamington Spa, CV32 6AP;

Rockmill Lane is off Rugby Rd, just before the Y-junction with Warwick New Road.

Helena has been a professional artist for over thirty years, for the last twenty based in Leamington Spa.
Sculpture is her main discipline, developing her unique style of sculpture in wood, stone and willow, using a variety of traditional and self-invented techniques blending her ideas with the natural potential of the medium.

Helena’s work can be thoughtful, humorous, and playful; themes include animals, the sea and the female form, as well as abstract designs. An enduring obsession is to capture a sense of movement in a static medium.
Her creations are never perfectly symmetrical, tending to twist in a slightly lopsided way reminiscent of the way the trees grow finding their own natural form.

Helena’s diverse range of artwork can be seen in the intriguing garden at the White House, Visitors are invited to explore the garden, view the works, Chat with the artist, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Helena’s sculptures, paintings and drawings are for sale as well as a range of giclee prints and cards.

Her creations are never perfectly symmetrical, tending to twist in a slightly lopsided way reminiscent of the way trees grow finding their own natural form.

Helena’s diverse range of artwork can be seen in the intriguing garden at the White House. Visitors are invited to explore the garden, view the works, chat to the artist, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Helena’s sculptures, paintings and drawings are for sale as well as a range of giclee prints and cards.

Art Gallery

Logs (2021)

Welcome to the start of my journey working towards my Warwichire Open Studios Projects. Logs of many types of trees are used to create some of my sculptures that will be on display at my even starting 23rd June till 3rd July.

Top Dog (2023)

Sitting on top of your best friend to look good and get all the attention can be seen as a combination of three of the deadly sins; greed, sloth, and pride. A light-hearted piece carved from a solid block of lime wood.

Birdy (2022)

I get through a lot of willow from flower baskets to many animals such as this bird above. I use many different colors of willow to give my work character such as my first build now has a bird nest in his head.

Nurture (2014)

Made from Alabaster marble, The cloudy opaque quality gives a calming effect that I wanted to complete my vision. I was inspired by the idea of protecting one’s child or young one like a pod protecting a seed. The mother is surrounding the child to keep them safe and let nothing happen to them as they are the protector. The howled-out layer representing a mother is like a set of (Russian) Matryoshka dolls each sheltering the smaller self inside. Like a family passing on the tradition of shielding the young self, as one grows another will protect the next.

Jumping Dolphins (2019)

Made with a walnut wood that gives you a lovely brown to work with, I was inspired by the way dolphins leap in the sea and keep popping back leaping through the waves again and again. I included a curve like a wave as I feel the waves that crash by as a dolphin leaps over and I’ve tried to capture that movement I see in my mind into a static form so it can stand still and not miss it in a blink of an eye.

Swan (2019)

Made from Portland stone giving it a strong posture making itself known and stand out although it is a simple design with a geometric body and a curved head. Minimalism was the idea for this piece to keep it simple and neat. Taking that in mind I wanted to add the feathers and just curved lines to define the feathers so it kept with being minimalist. Most of my sculptures have so many details and curves. I wanted to mix it up a little and try something new and I enjoyed doing so.

If I set out to sculpt a standing man and it becomes a lying woman, I know I am making art.
J. R. R. TOLKIEN

About Me

Community artist, sculptor, painter and teacher, working with all ages and abilities. I run workshops for schools and colleges, community groups and individuals. I also co-tutor Painting for Pleasure, an established weekly class for people with disabilities and/or in danger of being isolated in the community. Studied Fine Art at Exeter and teaching at Goldsmiths College, London. Returned to Leamington Spa in 2004, after living and working as an artist in Southend, Coventry and Shetland. Since then have had three solo exhibitions and taken part in the biennial Warwickshire Artsweek since 2006.