Berries in Blue
By Barbara Gibbs
This is my 38th year with The Art Place. I have had been having artists display their work on our walls since 1992 when I moved into my present location at 9 North Main Street, Wolfeboro. Helene Pierce, a Wolfeboro resident and watercolor artist, has been showing her work here since then. We had a one person show with her about 15 years ago, and this year I felt that it was time for her to have another exhibit of her current work. When I say current work, that might not seem like anything unusual, but in this case for an artist who has been actively painting for well over 60 years, one can imagine that she has a considerable amount of paintings. She has sold and exhibited throughout the years, yet her stock is still great. You see, Helene is a very prolific painter, due mostly to her passion and enthusiasm to paint. She works in her beautiful home overlooking Lake Winnipesaukee, as well as gathering weekly with friends to paint in Rockport, Massachusetts. So let me “paint” you a better picture of the artist Helene Pierce who’s work is on exhibit here at The Art Place through July 30th:
Born in Brooklyn, NY in 1930, Helene Pierce knew from the very first time she could hold a crayon that art was what she wanted to do. In school, she continued to shine with her art. Knowing that it was difficult to make a living in the field of art, she chose a different career path. However, she did take a number of workshops and studied art on her own, all the time improving her skills. A family kept her very busy, but painting was always a part of her life. She painted every chance she could get. She studied with Betty Lou Schlemm, who is a member of the American Watercolor Society and a published artist. Helene also took classes at UNH with Sigmand Abeles, a well-known artist and professor, who’s work is very much revered.
Helene and her husband moved to Amherst, NH first, then in 1991, they moved to Wolfeboro, NH. Helene travels to Rockport, Massachusetts, where she paints every Tuesday with a group of artists including her long-time teacher friend Betty Lou Schlemm. The group has been getting together in Rockport since the 1970’s! They paint outdoors in the summer.
Helene has exhibited nationally and internationally, as well as widely throughout New England. She is the recipient of numerous national and regional awards. Helene’s professional memberships have included the New England Watercolor Society; The Copley Society of Boston, MA; The New Hampshire Art Association; Lorillard Wolfe Art Club, NY, NY; Academic Artists Associations, Springfield, MA; The American Artists Professional League, NY, NY; North Shore Art Association, Gloucester, MA; Sharon Arts Center, Peterborough, NH; The Bermuda Society of Arts, Hamilton, Bermuda. Her work has been represented by The Art Place for over 15 years.
In the art world, she is known as a painters’ painter—an admiration by other artists of her ability to master the medium. Her medium of choice is watercolor, which she paints with fluidity and movement often choosing lush colors. Helene’s aesthetically pleasing still lifes show her ability to create volume and form, as well as depicting light and shadow. Equally appealing are her landscapes, placing the viewer in a pleasant setting or creating a moment in time where time might indeed stand still. Helene has an impressive body of work that span decades of painting. I am pleased to be surrounded by so much of her work here at The Art Place. Her exhibit continues through July 30th, and is featured during Wolfeboro’s Art Walk on Saturday, July 30th from 5 to 8. We will continue to show her work even after the current exhibit is down. After all, she will continue painting, and there’s a lot more of her art to show!