Jewell Hellems
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For Jewell Hellems, it’s color that inspires her paintings. “I love color,” she says. “I think people who love color also love nature.”
As could be expected, then, a brilliant palette illuminates Hellems’ paintings, including a very pink watercolor pig, that are part of the Washington Street Artists’ Cooperative member’s exhibit.
Abstracts in particular provide a freedom of expression based on how colors are put together. “I love painting because I love to watch colors on paper merging together,” she says.
Hellems first came to oil paints 44 years ago when she was expecting her daughter. She had always designed things –flowers, dried flower collages, entire gardens – and painting seemed to be an extension of that desire to establish a link to what is beautiful in nature. But it took a while before she was ready to jump in. “I had a friend in Fairfax,” she explains, “and we used to say we would take a watercolor class after we finished our quilt.”
Years later when she moved to Charles Town, Hellems’ neighbor was an artist who gave her books and encouraged her to take a class called Summer Sampler. Elizabeth Smith taught that class and after it, or during, Hellems knew she wanted to paint.
“I know you learn technique from classes,” she says, “but to be a painter, you have to paint. It’s more about a feeling than knowing all the technical things.”
When she is working on a painting, she keeps it in her kitchen where she can look at it and think about it as she goes through the day. But she is a busy person with many connections to the community and each personal interaction gives her another opportunity for inspiration. “One of the things I like about meeting
people is that you take something away with you,” she says.
A social person, Hellems also credits being part of a group of artists as a source of inspiration. Whether a painting starts with a photograph or something she sees, she has to be inspired. “There’s something about the space you’re in that influences painting,” she says.
Jewell Hellems hopes that her paintings speak to people and that they bring joy, and she hopes “they’re being looked after” because, after all, they speak for her.
As could be expected, then, a brilliant palette illuminates Hellems’ paintings, including a very pink watercolor pig, that are part of the Washington Street Artists’ Cooperative member’s exhibit.
Abstracts in particular provide a freedom of expression based on how colors are put together. “I love painting because I love to watch colors on paper merging together,” she says.
Hellems first came to oil paints 44 years ago when she was expecting her daughter. She had always designed things –flowers, dried flower collages, entire gardens – and painting seemed to be an extension of that desire to establish a link to what is beautiful in nature. But it took a while before she was ready to jump in. “I had a friend in Fairfax,” she explains, “and we used to say we would take a watercolor class after we finished our quilt.”
Years later when she moved to Charles Town, Hellems’ neighbor was an artist who gave her books and encouraged her to take a class called Summer Sampler. Elizabeth Smith taught that class and after it, or during, Hellems knew she wanted to paint.
“I know you learn technique from classes,” she says, “but to be a painter, you have to paint. It’s more about a feeling than knowing all the technical things.”
When she is working on a painting, she keeps it in her kitchen where she can look at it and think about it as she goes through the day. But she is a busy person with many connections to the community and each personal interaction gives her another opportunity for inspiration. “One of the things I like about meeting
people is that you take something away with you,” she says.
A social person, Hellems also credits being part of a group of artists as a source of inspiration. Whether a painting starts with a photograph or something she sees, she has to be inspired. “There’s something about the space you’re in that influences painting,” she says.
Jewell Hellems hopes that her paintings speak to people and that they bring joy, and she hopes “they’re being looked after” because, after all, they speak for her.
