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Helen Shideler

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Helen Shideler
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    • Photo Album
    • Bio
  • Artwork
    • Available Artwork
    • My Plein Air Journey
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    • 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
    • Commissions
    • FAQ’s
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    • 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
  • Artwork,  Fauna - Feathers and Fur,  My Painting Process,  Poured Watercolour,  Still Life - Florals & Much More,  Travelling Colours

    Ducks in a Row

    10 April 2020 / No Comments

    Ducks in a Row is a 1/2 sheet poured watercolour painting of Ducks Unlimited nesting boxes hung in a row Summer memories Last summer we were in Prince Edward Island in the very picture perfect area of Annandale. We rented an old farmhouse that was situated on a old farm. On the property were many sun bleached barns. While exploring the property, we came across the back of a barn with a number of Ducks Unlimited nesting boxes hanging in a row. Hence Ducks in a Row! I knew immediately there was a painting in that series of photos. Most likely a poured watercolour! Trickier than I expected I had…

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    Helen Shideler

    You May Also Like

    A nice story

    18 June 2019

    Making of Chill Seekers Polar Bear Dip

    20 February 2021

    Winters Light Shines Through

    21 August 2016
  • Artful Reflections,  My Painting Process,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Scent of Spring and some self reflection

    30 March 2020 / 4 Comments

    Scent of Spring lilac painting in oils I completed Scent of Spring yesterday actually. I can tell you that I did a lot of self reflecting while working on it. There were some painting sessions where I literally spent hours working and you know, you could not tell I even touched it. It developed slowly. I knew it would and thought I was prepared for that. I stayed with it and am sure happy that I did. In one of those moments of when I was questioning myself, this quote found me: “Every artist dips his brush in his own soul, and paints his own nature into his pictures.” ―…

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    Helen Shideler

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    The missed shots

    10 November 2024

    My Process to Start a New Painting

    1 December 2015

    Horizon Health and the most excellent after care

    27 April 2025
  • Artwork,  Fauna - Feathers and Fur

    Ever Watchful – Cardinal painting

    15 February 2020 / No Comments

    When you are this bright and this handsome you have to be Ever Watchful. Northern Cardinals stand out in so many ways. Caught in action When observing cardinals you can’t help but notice how shy and elusive they are. They are constantly surveying their surroundings for signs of danger. I think that when you stand out as much as they do that you have to always be on high alert. This fellow no doubt caught me taking his photo. I have a really good zoom lens so I was respectful of his space. Besides, they would never let anyone get too close. Decked out The deck where we feed the…

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    Helen Shideler

    You May Also Like

    Winters Light Shines Through

    21 August 2016

    Icky ick ick ick

    4 January 2015

    Autumn poured watercolour painting

    3 November 2019
  • Lessons Learned,  My Painting Process,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Bay of Fundy Blues

    19 January 2020 / No Comments

    Bay of Fundy Blues is my first completed oil painting for 2020! Mussel shells have always been one of my favourite subjects to paint and I always come back to them. It seems like a rather long time since i posted last. I’ve been quite busy. I completed a few Christmas commissions along the way – which I am unable to share, then the holidays with lots of family and we don’t have to get into the never ending sinus cold/infection fiasco. So many reasons! But I am back at it once again. Mussel shells revisited It is interesting how I keep coming back to subjects that I thought I…

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    Helen Shideler

    You May Also Like

    Week 3 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

    19 February 2018

    The Do Over

    27 November 2013

    Summertime Promises

    20 May 2018
  • Artwork,  My Painting Process,  Poured Watercolour

    Autumn poured watercolour painting

    3 November 2019 / No Comments

    Autumn. There is something about the changing seasons and the arrival of the clean, fresh autumn air that inspires me to pull out all the colours. Not to ever attempt to compete with Mother Nature, but to work in harmony and try to capture the essence of the season. Pouring with watercolours There are so many reasons why I love the process of pouring with watercolours. Often I will start a painting after I have completed a few detailed larger pieces. It almost feels like therapy for me. I get to splash and splatter paint in a much freer manner than usual and there is an element of tension or…

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    Helen Shideler

    You May Also Like

    Pretty In Pink completed

    22 November 2015

    Call of the Raven

    26 October 2014

    I see you – painting of a sparrow

    18 May 2015
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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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    • Fauna – Feathers and Fur (19)
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  • My Painting Process (50)
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    • Lessons Learned (23)
    • Poured Watercolour (13)
  • My Plein Air Adventures (20)
  • Travelling Colours (20)

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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

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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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