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Helen Shideler

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Helen Shideler
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  • Home
    • Commissions
    • My Artistic Journey CV
    • FAQ’s
    • Links
    • Photo Album
    • 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
    • Fund Raisers
    • Exhibitions
    • Events

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  • Blog
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  • Home
    • My Artistic Journey CV
    • Commissions
    • 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
  • A Tale Unfolds,  Artful Reflections,  Artwork,  Kudos

    Spring is finally here

    24 March 2022 / No Comments

    Spring fever and a generous slice of humble pie We have finally start to move away from the distractions that we all lived with during much of the pandemic. I am so happy that warm Plein Air painting opportunities are slowly returning and to see smiling faces once again (maskless).  I don’t know about you – but I have serious spring fever! It’s been a Corvid kind of Covid As you probably know, I almost always paint in a series. This year is no exception I have painted three crows and a blue jay! Both are members of the Corvid family! A Tale Unfolds Intrigued We started to feed blue…

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    Helen Shideler

    You May Also Like

    The problem with Prussian blue – A comedy

    21 July 2018

    Snack Attack

    27 October 2019

    Home Away From Home

    11 February 2024
  • Lessons Learned,  Scapes - Coastal and Land

    Golden Glow and a January update

    16 January 2022 / No Comments

    I really cannot get over how fast time is going! Christmas came and went and it’s now mid-January! I’ve been working primarily on a large oil painting – Golden Glow, along with several poured watercolours. Golden Glow was a labour of love. I found the degree of detail in the treeline to be almost daunting initially. I studied my reference photos for a long time before I actually started. I wanted to ensure the painting was fresh and organic and I tried not to make it too formal. In preparation for this painting, I did a number of Plein Air studies in the Hampton area and also did a study…

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    Helen Shideler

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    The missed shots

    10 November 2024

    Fetching Fun and a bit of trouble

    10 November 2018

    Growing Skyward

    10 December 2021
  • Artwork,  Lessons Learned,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Growing Skyward

    10 December 2021 / No Comments

    Once upon day in late spring, I happened upon a wild garden of lupines. I got down as low as I possibly could to take my reference photos. I love this perspective of how these lupins are growing skyward reaching towards heaven. Inspiration in a ditch Inspiration can happen literally anywhere. When I was out driving around looking for potential reference photos, I noticed a ditch full of lupines in all colours imaginable growing at the edge of a parking lot. Of course I had to go and take as many reference photos as possible. It didn’t hurt that the sky and the lighting seemed perfect to me. I have…

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    Helen Shideler

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    May you live in interesting times…

    23 December 2020

    Call of the Raven

    26 October 2014

    Icky ick ick ick

    4 January 2015
  • Artwork,  My Painting Process,  People,  Scapes - Coastal and Land

    Making of Chill Seekers Polar Bear Dip

    20 February 2021 / No Comments

    I love it when a painting names itself. From the moment I pulled out the canvas to start work, I knew this piece was called CHILL SEEKERS! Sometimes naming the painting can be the most difficult part. Really! Polar Bear Dip Once upon a time, a few years ago now, a few family members decided to join the Polar Bear dip at Mispec Beach. For those of you who may not know what a Polar Bear DIp is – and for those that live in warmer climates and I’m sure never heard of this – it’s well, when normally sensible people decide to take a quick plunge in freezing waters.…

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    Helen Shideler

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    Striking Visitor

    5 October 2019

    I’m happy to be OuTSiDeY

    26 November 2023

    On Watch

    10 December 2017
  • Artwork,  My Painting Process,  My Plein Air Adventures,  Scapes - Coastal and Land,  Travelling Colours

    May you live in interesting times…

    23 December 2020 / 4 Comments

    My father had a quote that he used to like to say quite often and it really was both a blessing and a curse. May you live in interesting times Well, 2020 proved to be a clear reflection of the meaning of that expression. So much to be grateful for and yet so much uncertainty. 2020 clearly a year of many changes Personally I made a number of changes in my world. I made the decision to leave my day job so I could dedicate more time to painting. This was truly one of the best decisions ever. Ironically though, with this decision, came the reality of isolating away in…

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    Helen Shideler

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    Pretty In Pink completed

    22 November 2015

    Vigilance – oil painting of an osprey

    17 April 2020

    Striking Visitor

    5 October 2019
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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)

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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

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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