HELEN OLLIVIER
After graduating from Elam School of Fine Arts in 1997, her art practice took off with a hiss and a roar. By 2008 she had completed seven solo exhibitions at a prominent Auckland Gallery before taking a break to raise her family. In the last few years, she has been busy running art programmes for kids and raising four children of her own, which has left her little time for her own work.
Recently, Helen embarked on a 100-day challenge painting a landscape a day, in order to find her voice as an artist. She posted her progress online and to her delight received an enthusiastic following, selling much of her work as she went. The project reignited Helen’s passion for painting and she has continued to paint landscapes, including many of Auckland's west coast beaches, scenes from New Zealand's Great Walks, and some of her other favourite places around New Zealand, such as, Hawkes Bay.
Her landscapes have a strong compositional element. She is interested in rhythm and movement and the contrasts of texture, colour and light. Her work has a dream-like quality, combining a unique sense of movement and stillness.