Helen Ward
Cross pollination, experimentation and combining different techniques is very much part of my creative practice. Born from observing, experiencing and reflecting on time spent out in the landscape. It is exciting to watch students who have never tried paper lithography, grasp the technique and run with it!
Helen Ward is a visual artist whose work embraces experimentation, chance, and the creative possibilities of “mistake making,” developing a distinctive visual language that captures both observation and thought.
Helen graduated from Farnham University with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, but it wasn’t until 2020—after taking redundancy during the Covid lockdown—that she finally had uninterrupted time to fully commit to her practice.
Embracing the opportunity, she began sharing her work consistently on Instagram, which quickly became a vital platform for visibility and connection. Over the past five years, her audience has grown dramatically, leading to international collectors and a wide range of opportunities.
Drawing lies at the heart of her practice—a means to see, understand, and express what cannot be otherwise communicated. Her process is investigative and iterative, recording the history of making through decisions, errors, and discoveries. From spontaneous plein air sketches to considered studio studies, her drawings reflect a constant engagement with the world around her.
IIn her printmaking, she explores the versatility of paper lithography, developing imagery through the use of photography, drawing and sketchbook work to create richly layered compositions.
Her artists’ books extend this exploration into a spatial, narrative form. Starting from panoramic unfolding pages that document journeys through landscape, her books have evolved into, multi-layered objects combining original monotype print collage and different media. They invite viewers to experience time, place, and story gradually—like a long walk or a daydream revisited again and again.
Helen has exhibited at the Penwith Gallery, the St Ives Society, Ironbridge Fine Arts, and the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair for the past three years, alongside several solo shows. A notable highlight for her was a commission to produce drawings that featured in the video ‘Spies’ for Tori Amos.