This month, we're thrilled to dive into the world of Helen Loveday, a talented botanical artist known for her enchanting illustrations of magical oriental botanical scenes. In this blog, Helen shares valuable insights into her creative journey, including the influence of Japanese woodblock prints and the story behind her beginnings as an artist.
Q. Where have you found inspiration lately?
A. I love Japanese woodblock prints and chinoiserie wallpaper and I usually use these as reference for my birds and butterflies. I love the way they are stylised already and I find it easier to make my designs more elegant and less complicated.
Q. Is there a piece of art or a project that you are particularly excited about right now?
A. I really love to paint flowers, I've taken some photos of some white lilies that I got for my birthday. It's great to take your own photos as you can get unique angles and different shapes and textures to paint. I left them a bit long and some of them have gone over and are a bit wrinkly but I think it will be much more interesting to paint. I use my paintings to make wall art and also in printed fabric designs on silk sleep masks, silk pillows and silk dressing gowns.
Q. What kinds of tools or references do you like to use when creating artwork?
A. I paint with watercolour paints on cotton rag paper. I use both regular brushes and Chinese brushes as I find I can paint more elegant shapes with them.
Q. What artists or artworks (from your life or art history) do you admire or consider influential to your work and why?A. I Love Pierre-Joseph Redouté, whom most textile designers (like me) reference, as he is the grandfather of botanical flower painting! You still see his floral art on the runway from various fashion designers. Another of my favorites is Elizabeth Blackadder who painted flowers and cats, a lady after my own heart!
Q. What advice do you have for other new or aspiring artists?
A.Just keep painting, painting, getting inspired and practising, it's not a talent it's a passion and you will get better!
Q. Professionally, what has been your biggest achievement so far?A. My last collection of silk dressing gowns and eye masks were available for sale at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It's my favourite museum as it has the most amazing historical costume collection and I spent a lot of time there gathering inspiration and drawing when I was a student.
Q. What is your first memory of creating art?
A. With my grandma when I was very little, she used to take me to pottery classes.
Q. How do you spend your time when you’re not creating artwork? A. Most of my time is spent running my business and looking after my 2 little kids, I don't feel like I have any spare time at all!
Q. What work do you most enjoy doing?
A. I love to paint, I most like finishing a painting I'm proud of though rather than all the preparation. I also love creating products and I get so excited when I receive a strike off of an artwork of a textile design on a fabric. I think it's just the experience of creating something new.
Q. What is your dream project?A. My business is my dream project, I love flower art and silk fabric and I have squashed them together to make my dream products!