Helen Teixeira is a Seattle based artist working in acrylic painting, mixed media, pottery and sculpture. Helen has a minor in Art from San Jose State University with a concentration in Ceramics. Helen can be reached by email at Helen(at)helentheartist.com

About my process and tools: I use professional grade paints, usually Golden, in both fluid acrylics and heavy body paint. Sometimes I use texturing mediums. I don’t always use a brush. I have many different types of silicone tools that look similar to spatulas. I will also paint with rags and my fingers when a brush doesn’t give me the look I want. I have tools like knitting needs and a large collection of palette knives. I have used textured fabrics, saran wrap and foil for texture. I have squeeze bottles, spray bottles and cups to pour from. Whatever I can find in my environment that might apply texture or movement to the paint, I will use. I have one easel that stands up and one that lays down. I transfer paintings back and forth between the easels, depending on the look I am trying to achieve. My abstract paintings have many layers that peek through to form what you see. There are often hidden objects and words that have been painted over and incorporated into the abstracts. The abstracts usually tell a story about a song or a memory or some place I have been. Every painting is varnished with a UV resistant varnish.

Painting in abstract frees me from the order, rules, and expectation of everyday real life. Like lifting a veil, I put my heart and mind on display for the world to see, revealing my innermost thoughts and feelings with paint in a way that feels raw and exposed. The control, logic, and modesty of my everyday life dissolve away into uninhibited expression where my deepest secrets are told and personal experiences whispered through color, shape, and texture.