Helen Dyne was born into an artistic family and in her early years she was captured by her grandmother sitting quietly painting in her beautifully kept garden. Her mother was also a sculptress so she learned from a young age that she had a natural passion for the arts. However she did not take the path of Art College as it was frowned upon by her father. Consequently It was not until she had raised her family that she had the chance to discover herself. Nature is a huge inspiration for her work, like many artists before her and of today.
Now established as a self taught Glass Artist she has been working with this medium for the past eighteen years, constantly teaching herself new techniques like the traditional lost wax method of glass casting. She uses a mix of fine glass powders, frits, glass sheets and glass enamel paints. With some pieces the process begins with layering glass upon glass to create a 3D effect of depth. She has an energetic mind that is thirsty to learn and she enjoys the process of working with glass, the fluidity it creates and the boundaries she is always pushing. Whether through success or failure many a piece has evolved by the wonders of failure opening up new ideas and techniques to her.
The body of work she is working on at the moment draws from her experiences with having mental health disabilities in her family, not only while growing up with a mother crippled with depression, but with two of her sons on the ASD spectrum – and seeing how others behave towards such disabilities. “Confusion Skin To Bone” tells the story of the broken, the decay. Glass skulls with the confusion of flesh tentacle antlers, adorned with delicate fragility of new life growing again in an array of glass blossoms and flowers. She hopes to pull in her viewer to see the finer details in an understanding that we may not all be the same but we have the power to destroy or uplift another. To be kind.
Helen has collaborated with other artists for two installation pieces and exhibits regularly in group shows. Due to her original style she has been approached and has written for Glass Patterns Magazine and had work published in Brides Magazine. She has been a part of the Flux exhibition since 2017 – pushing herself more and more each year to create unique pieces showcasing her independent style.
