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Helen Shideler

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Helen Shideler
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  • Home
    • Commissions
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    • Bio
  • Artwork
    • Available Artwork
    • My Plein Air Journey
    • My Print Shop
    • Animal Kingdom
    • East Coast Stills
    • Feathered Friends
    • Florals
    • Mussels and More
    • People
    • Poured Watercolour
    • Scapes
    • The Pond
  • Artist Blog
  • Contact me
  • Events
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    • Events

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  • Blog
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  • Home
    • My Artistic Journey CV
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    • FAQ’s
    • Links
    • Photo Album
    • Bio
  • Portfolio
    • Animal Kingdom
    • Feathered Friends
    • Florals
    • Mussels and More
    • People
    • Poured Watercolour
    • Scapes
    • The Pond
    • Available Artwork
    • My Plein Air Journey
    • East Coast Stills
    • My Print Shop

Recent Posts

  • Sun, Salt and Slow Time
    In My Plein Air Adventures, Travelling Colours
  • Q1 and what have I done?
    In Artwork, Fauna - Feathers and Fur, From My Studio, Scapes - Coastal and Land, Still Life - Florals & Much More
  • 2025 A Year of Color and Attention
    In Artful Reflections, Scapes - Coastal and Land, Still Life - Florals & Much More
  • Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Miss Feya Lily Complete

    18 January 2016 / No Comments

    Finally I finally managed to carve out enough time to complete this painting. It was so close.I started it well before the Holiday season and then life got in the way.  You know busy stuff.  Family stuff.  The stuff you need to take a time out for.  Only after I committed to the 30 Paintings in 30 Day Challenge for January… a good and productive way to ring in the new year.   I love the passages in this painting It may be cliché but it makes me think of generations.  The older blooms still stately with their colours fading to softer and muted tones.  The blooms that recently opened…

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    Helen Shideler

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    Summertime Promises

    20 May 2018

    Sunny Serenade, A Lilac story

    12 January 2025

    Sea Shells at the Sea Shore

    8 June 2025
  • Events,  Fauna - Feathers and Fur,  Product Review

    Week 1 – Gone to the Birds

    7 January 2016 / No Comments

    I joined in another challenge to paint 30 Paintings in 30 Days.   The first week quickly became about painting chickadees!I knew the challenge was coming up so between Christmas and New Years I braved the elements to attempt to get as many photographs as possible.  I stood out on our deck for hours.  Freezing my fingers off while waiting for the perfect photo opportunity.  Interesting enough, it did not take me too long to figure out that these feathers cherubs are much faster than I.  I managed to get many empty feeder shots. And a few with the snow flying as the little cuties flew off the feeder.  …

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    Helen Shideler

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    I Had a Total Blast

    6 October 2013

    SKB Workshop in Dubois WY 2014

    28 September 2014

    Plein Air in Arizona

    1 May 2016
  • Artful Reflections,  From My Studio,  My Painting Process

    My Process to Start a New Painting

    1 December 2015 / 2 Comments

    Other than starting out with a serious dose of procrastination – there are many stages to the painting process. Mine typically goes like this: Inspiration is always first It may take on many forms. Whether it is the softness of a petal or the play of light and shadow or an intriguing detail that just speaks to you.  Something has caught your eye.  Made you stop and look at it a little deeper. Then you make a decision.  I must paint that.  In whatever way you perceive it to be.  You make so many decisions at this point, size, orientation, medium to technique.  I seldom have to look for something to…

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    Helen Shideler

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    I’m happy to be OuTSiDeY

    26 November 2023

    New York Minute (sigh)

    18 May 2014

    Spring is finally here

    24 March 2022
  • Artwork,  My Painting Process,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Pretty In Pink completed

    22 November 2015 / No Comments

    I love the feeling of satisfaction I get when I realize that a painting is finished I’ve let this one percolate long enough to call it completed. I am done looking at it with the squinty eyes and scrutinizing. It is time to put down the paintbrushes and wash off my palette. When I get near the completion of a painting I spend quite a bit of time assessing and reassessing it and second guessing myself.   This is a normal part of the painting process. I want to ensure the warm tones are balanced over the painting and that the cooler tones are the right shade and the values are…

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    Helen Shideler

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    How is it July already?

    7 July 2024

    May you live in interesting times…

    23 December 2020

    Winters Light Shines Through

    21 August 2016
  • Events,  Poured Watercolour,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Demo Poured Painting Colours of Autumn

    15 November 2015 / No Comments

    Yesterday was such a nice day.  I had the opportunity to paint at the Hooper’s Studio in Hampton with some really great folks.  This is the kick off weekend for their Small Works Show and they invited a number of us to participate. I worked on a demo poured painting piece.   As this was a demo, I had to take some “short cuts” to try to get it done in a day.  Typically I prefer to pour one colour in a session.  For this piece I had to pour two and sometimes three colours in one session.  I liked the way the colours mingled on the wet paper but…

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    Helen Shideler

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    Plein Air in Arizona

    1 May 2016

    SCA Art Chat with Helen

    30 April 2021

    To Santa Fe and back

    24 April 2018
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ARTIST & BLOGGER

Hi, I’m Helen. Welcome to my online home. Here, you’ll find a collection of my art creations inspired by light, colour and texture.

Explore, enjoy and feel free to connect!

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Categories

  • A Tale Unfolds (5)
  • Artful Reflections (15)
  • Artwork (79)
    • Fauna – Feathers and Fur (19)
    • People (4)
    • Scapes – Coastal and Land (15)
    • Still Life – Florals & Much More (38)
  • Events (25)
  • From My Studio (12)
    • Product Review (7)
  • Kudos (9)
  • My Painting Process (50)
    • Helpful Hints (7)
    • Lessons Learned (23)
    • Poured Watercolour (13)
  • My Plein Air Adventures (20)
  • Travelling Colours (20)

Tags

coastal art Feathered Friends florals and feathers Mussel shell painting sea shore painting

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Copyright

As the artist I retain the the reproductive rights to my artwork in any form. Thank you for following along and appreciating my work.

Had to drive around to find some inspiration this Had to drive around to find some inspiration this afternoon. I loved the sky and wanted that to be the main part of my painting. Always knew that cars drive fast on country roads…but then you are standing beside the road…you really get to see how incredibly fast they drive! This is a cautionary tale not to be tempted to set up to paint on an unprotected soft shoulder.

Was so nice to feel warmth today. Happy painting day

#beautifulnewbrunswick #livelifeincolour #getoutsideandpaint #canadianartdaily #pleinaircanada
Omigoodness Omigoodness So incredibly happy to b Omigoodness Omigoodness 

So incredibly happy to be outside painting once again. I was seriously going through withdrawal. Missing both painting outside and my good friend @dalecookart .  We got wimpy this winter…but in fairness to us the wind was relentless and my new knee kinda meh. When I first started painting the wind was at my back…then it shifted…and came at me front on! My hands froze. My nose froze. I put on a coat…didn’t help. April in New Brunswick Where the seasons change three times every day 🤣.

Happy with my painting knowing my hands and paint were both frozen

#beautifulnewbrunswick #getoutsideandpaint #livelifeincolour #pleinaircanada #helenshideler
Memory Lane Omigoodness this is like a happy reun Memory Lane

Omigoodness this is like a happy reunion 

Looking through my pile of watercolour Plein Air paintings. From the beaches of PEI to San Diego and Coronado Island to Bermuda and Wyoming ….New Brunswick and BC and even Florida

So many memories and I remember every day around each of these paintings 
This is why painting from life is so important to me…the colours, the sensations and reason for the paintings are forever embedded in my memory-  and are often teased out in my studio work.
I am so blessed that I’ve been able to travel and paint

Happy memories 

#livelifeincolour #getoutsideandpaint #pleinairpainter #pleinaircanada #helenshideler
Special Commission I am so very grateful that I Special Commission 

I am so very grateful that I was asked to paint this commission. It is a really heartfelt painting for the owners and through the early discussion stage we discovered that we have a connection that made this process even more special…and emotional.  Often in our lives I profoundly believe that we are guided to make connections. This experience was most definitely one of those times. Thank you….

I combined three different photos to create this piece. 
Acrylic on cradled wood panel
12x24”

#eastcoastartist #beautifulnewbrunswick #beautifulnewbrunswick #livelifeincolour #helenshideler
“HIGH HOPES” That look of longing. Of knowing wha “HIGH HOPES”

That look of longing. Of knowing what is up there and but not how to reach it. It’s our peanut feeder. Just high enough to be out of reach and no way for him to swipe one or two. These clever birds will almost always find a way. This one started to bully the blue jays into dropping their treasured peanuts!  Quite the raucous. Quite the show!

12x12x1.5” 
Acrylic on deep cradled panel

#eastcoastartist #livelifeincolour #crowsofinstagram #crowart #helenshideler
DOING THE HOKEY POKEY So much fun….and this song DOING THE HOKEY POKEY

So much fun….and this song was going through my mind for most of the time I was painting it. Who can resist a dancing crow?

12 x 12 x1.5” acrylic on deep cradled panel

#artinprogress #eastcoastartist #helenshideler #crowart #contemporyrealism
“ATTITUDE” He didn’t fly in. He just walked. Stra “ATTITUDE”

He didn’t fly in. He just walked. Straight towards me. I was crouched on the ground at Lily Lake trying to get some great duck reference photos. Then I felt its presence. Turned with camera ready…..

No rush. No fear. Just that steady, deliberate approach — like he already owns the ground. Probably thinking I was going to feed him.

There’s something about a crow coming straight at you. Not frantic. With intent. And all “Attitude”

Acrylic on deep cradled panel 
12x12x 1.5”

#crow #contemporarypainting #birdart #eastcoastartist #helenshideler
“Moonlit Magic” I had a vision for this painting “Moonlit Magic”

I had a vision for this painting with a very dark background…and it worked. But only in the daytime. So I went back in and lit up the background some…and now the painting works in the evening and daytime.

I’m surprising myself at how much I’m enjoying acrylics I’ve again…mind you not the dry time. I have a mini split in my studio. Often the painting works is literally dry on my brush before I can get it on my painting. This is tough on my brushes as well.  Working through my supply of surfaces in hopes of bringing it down to a reasonable stash. Called high hopes eh?

11x14 acrylic on cradled wood panel

#eastcoastartist #helenshideler #studiowork #artinprogress
“Spring Delivery” The robins bring joy to my hear “Spring Delivery”

The robins bring joy to my heart. They are most often the first of the migratory birds to come back - giving us hope that spring really is on its way. And with that hope comes nesting season.  We have had robins nest at our cottage, at our home beside our power meter, and in our climbing hydrangeas in our backyard. It is always delightful and feels like such a privilege to see. 

Spring Delivery is a bit of an experiment. I started out by pouring acrylics….they were not happy to pour on this surface - but I stayed with it and it worked out. My goal was to add some depth before I started painting. 

Acrylic on gesso board. 12x16”

#eastcoastartist #robinsofinstagram #nestingrobin #birdsinart #helenshideler
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Recent Posts

  • Sun, Salt and Slow Time
    In My Plein Air Adventures, Travelling Colours
  • Q1 and what have I done?
    In Artwork, Fauna - Feathers and Fur, From My Studio, Scapes - Coastal and Land, Still Life - Florals & Much More
  • 2025 A Year of Color and Attention
    In Artful Reflections, Scapes - Coastal and Land, Still Life - Florals & Much More
  • When Your Art Page Gets Hacked
    In Artful Reflections, Lessons Learned, My Painting Process, Scapes - Coastal and Land

Categories

Copyright

As the artist I retain the the reproductive rights to my artwork in any form.

My Artwork may not be photographed, sketched, painted, added in part or in whole to any other artwork, or reproduced in any manner without the express written consent of the artist prior to moving forward.

Thank you for following along and appreciating my work.

©Helen Shideler

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