Marie-Hélène paints in what is called “direct watercolour”, a process that entails no preliminary drawing, using the fluid properties of watercolour, letting pigments mix on the page, and taking risks. Most of her watercolours are completed with a maximum of two washes. She uses on-location sketches and her own photographs for inspiration.

Her semi-abstract landscapes express her love for Ireland – the sea, the sky, the geology and the light. Places that resonate strongly with her, she finds herself revisiting in her art again and again, such as the glow of a sunset over the Atlantic, or the feeling of mist rolling down a mountain. Every watercolour she paints is a specific location and moment in time. Painting these memories transports her to another place.

Autistic people often see the details first, before seeing the bigger picture. It’s only in the last few years that Marie-Hélène has understood this about herself and how it influences her art. As she can be overwhelmed by everything in a scene, she focuses on a detail – a glimpse of the light, a rock, a cloud, a wave, …She then builds her paintings from the inside out from those moments that catch her attention.

She doesn’t remember drawing as a child. She does remember her colouring books, though, and colour has always remained the most important element of her work.

More about Marie-Hélène HERE

All pieces are painted with professional-quality light-fast watercolours on acid-free watercolour paper. They are all framed.