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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
  • Journal
  • Contact me
  • Events
    • Fund Raisers
    • Exhibitions

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  • Blog
  • Contact me
  • 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

  • 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
  • Experience the Beauty of Coastal Art This Summer
    In Events, Scapes - Coastal and Land
  • Artwork,  Helpful Hints,  My Painting Process,  Poured Watercolour,  Product Review,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Red Hot Pink poured watercolour

    3 May 2020 / No Comments

    Red Hot Pink poured watercolour painting with process and product review I was feeling adventurous so I experimented with a few new products – one product I love and the other – not so much. In the pink It’s been a rather long, cold and wet spring. I wanted to paint something that celebrates summer heat and sunshine. Something bold and beautiful. Also I wanted to painting something that develops quicker than my oil paintings. So I turned to my photos of last summer’s planters and found red petunias! I also took this an an opportunity to push it a bit and experiment with a couple different products. Dr Ph.…

    Read More
    Helen Shideler

    You May Also Like

    Nut Case

    20 May 2019

    Don’t Butter Me Up

    26 October 2015

    Duckie Duet and trouble with my easel

    7 March 2015
  • 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

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    Week 2 of the 30 Day Challenge

    11 February 2018

    The Prince of Rockwood Park

    24 March 2024

    Painting of a Dragonfly on the Fence

    15 July 2016
  • 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

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    I see you – painting of a sparrow

    18 May 2015

    Week 3 of the 30 Paintings in 30 Days Challenge

    19 February 2018

    That September Feeling in the Air

    24 August 2015
  • Artwork,  My Painting Process,  Poured Watercolour,  Travelling Colours

    Memories of Addo National Park

    20 October 2019 / No Comments

    Last year we had the wonderful opportunity to travel to South Africa. And what would a trip to SA be without going on a safari? We were very fortunate to be able to go to Addo Elephant National Park and spend a couple of days there. I think this needs experience needs to be captured in a series of painting – both with poured watercolour and large oils. Safari We were so excited to be on safari in an open jeep that for the first few hours we did not even mind the rain! We knew South Africa had been in a long draught so we would not dare to…

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    Helen Shideler

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    Early wrap to this years challenge

    25 February 2018

    Icky ick ick ick

    4 January 2015

    May you live in interesting times…

    23 December 2020
  • Lessons Learned,  My Painting Process,  Poured Watercolour,  Scapes - Coastal and Land,  Still Life - Florals & Much More

    Summertime Promises

    20 May 2018 / No Comments

    Summertime Promises I completed this painting on the day of the Royal Wedding and also my husband’s birthday.  All this just happens to coincide with the Victoria Day long weekend.  All this is truly symbolic.  The May long weekend heralds in the promise of summer and is filled with hope.  Lazy long weekends, adventurous tours, putting in the garden… you know the feeling Warm enough to chill I don’t know about you, but my soul has been longing to be warm so we can just chill.  Our season on the East Coast is relatively short.  We wait so long for its arrival. So many happy plans and ideas – all…

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    Helen Shideler

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    Hat Trick

    3 February 2014

    When Your Art Page Gets Hacked

    4 November 2025

    Playing with ChatGPT

    26 April 2024
123

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 (78)
    • Fauna – Feathers and Fur (18)
    • People (4)
    • Scapes – Coastal and Land (14)
    • Still Life – Florals & Much More (37)
  • Events (25)
  • From My Studio (11)
    • Product Review (7)
  • Kudos (9)
  • My Painting Process (50)
    • Helpful Hints (7)
    • Lessons Learned (23)
    • Poured Watercolour (13)
  • My Plein Air Adventures (19)
  • Travelling Colours (19)

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.

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
“SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT” Because sometimes you g “SOMETHING TO CROW ABOUT”

Because sometimes you gotta let the world know….don’t you agree?  I have an idea for a series called Midnight. I think you can see where this may go. One of my many goals for 2026 is to use up a lot of the surfaces that I have on hand. Because, you know, artists collect lots of stuff. 

I think this rather handsome corvid is happy to announce that he’ll have company soon. 

A bit of a product review. This is painted on a pre-gessoed cradled panel. I found the surface to be ridiculously slippery and not user friendly. You cannot layer or glaze before the previous layer is completely dry or the paint will lift off almost back to the original white. AAAAANNNNDDD…it scratches super easy. My fingernails left tracks and they were not easy to cover up.  But I have many. And will use them as the finished work looks great and they are pricey (meaning higher quality I think). I have t named the brand…would only do that privately - but it’s most likely not the one you think. 

#eastcoastartist #artinprogress #studiowork #helenshideler #crowart
“Everlasting Memories” What does one do with thei “Everlasting Memories”

What does one do with their collection of shells? Well, rather than make a wreath…I painted a wreath from my shells. It’s funny, but last year I painted a few other shell paintings. When I look at them, I see the same shells painted into this piece. I must only grab the shells near the top of the case for references.

These shells mean a lot to me. I’d collected them over many years and really do treasure them and the days I got to spend at the beach. I know we are not supposed to take shells from the beach now, but at the time it was an acceptable thing to collect.

This painting is a “Round Tuit” - meaning I’ve been planning on painting this project for many years and I finally got around to it!

24 x24” oil painting with shell details in video
Will be custom framed once dry enough

#eastcoastartist #artinprogress #studiowork #livelifeincolour #helenshideler
Finally back at it. I have confessed many times th Finally back at it. I have confessed many times that I am a Master Procrastinator. I can’t help myself…I get quite close to completing a project and it’s like I freeze frame. I’ll walk all around the project - almost refusing to make eye contact with it! I think it’s an anticlimactic thing. When it’s done the relationship changes into a different phase. No longer building. 

At this point, the work on the shells is pretty much complete. I do have to let it dry for a couple of days before I attempt the background and buts of seaweed. This is mainly because I’ve gone back in to freshen some of the colours, soften some edges and crisp up others. I don’t know where the wet paint is to keep my hands out of it.

#eastcoastartist #artinprogress #livelifeincolour #helenshideler #studiowork
Round tuit January comes with a fresh batch of i Round tuit 

January comes with a fresh batch of inspiration and opportunities. And it’s time for me to get a round tuit! I love and appreciate when the new years starts with commissions. It sets a nice pace to start the new year feeling productive and with many goals. 

I’ve already prepped the smaller panels - now it’s time to prepare this rather impressive canvas.  Here’s to a wonderful New Year!

#artinprogress #studiowork #eastcoastartist #commissionswelcome #letsgooooo
The big debate was on… Should I sent this painting The big debate was on…
Should I sent this painting to the pit to burn? Or should I try to salvage it?

Honestly, I’ve always been of the mind that there is nothing you can’t fix…you just have to want to. Oh and get over the fear of messing it up. But, I was already on the fence with this painting  because…well the alien branch thing. So really, I had nothing to loose.

And now that I went back in I see the potential of staying with it. 🤞

#artinprogress #studiowork #livelifeincolour #helenshideler #bluejayart
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Recent Posts

  • 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
  • Experience the Beauty of Coastal Art This Summer
    In Events, Scapes - Coastal and Land
  • Sea Shells at the Sea Shore
    In Artwork, Scapes - Coastal and Land, Still Life - Florals & Much More

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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