I aim to create work that is beautiful and aesthetically pleasing but that also has a deeper meaning. I want to create work that pulls you in for a closer look and that also makes you stop and think. I am fascinated by the natural world and our place in it and by our desire to transcend, to move beyond what we know. Both the landscape and the inhabitants of the natural world inform and inspire my work as I explore how we as humans might fit in. 

Process and technique are also very important in my work. I like to use a range of media and techniques but return again and again to traditional textile skills such as dyeing and stitching. I like to use textiles for their tactile qualities and versatility and because everyone has a connection with textiles. There is automatically an element of familiarity with a piece of work that incorporates textiles, this can be used to draw the viewer in and then cause them to reconsider and re-evaluate ideas and look for deeper meanings. I also like the feeling that by using traditional techniques I am part of an often forgotten or overlooked history.

Helen Walsh is an Artist and Creative Practitioner who lives and works on the Solway coast. Helen specialises in drawing and textiles, in particular embroidery. She is continually fascinated by the natural world and our connection to it. Choosing to work predominantly with natural fibres such as silk and linen Helen finds herself consistently drawn to traditional textile skills such as embroidery, knitting and dyeing and enjoys the connections with the often forgotten makers of the past that working this way gives her.

Helen is also a skilled and experienced workshop leader and works on a variety of community and education based arts projects working with a diverse range of people in a variety of settings. The challenge of adapting her approach to suit the needs of participants to enable them to fulfil their creative potential is what drives her.