Helena Kauppila

Summer Dreams

Forests and other natural environments are often described as healing. I am interested in whether part of this effect comes from experiencing their complexity through vision, smell, sound, touch, movement, and the presence of others. In my paintings, I don’t try to bring specific forms of nature indoors, but rather something of this sense of complexity.

Summer Dreams began with an experience of celebrating Juhannus, the Finnish midsummer, although this now survives only in the background colors. I later painted tree-inspired forms in white primer across the surface, recovering areas of white space. The forms became increasingly abstract and curly as I worked. On top, I added single layers of bright mineral colors—cobalt violet, yellow, teal, and blue—sometimes applying the paint thickly and sometimes allowing the white beneath to remain bright. The result is a painting in which genuinely different experiences of color coexist.

Interested in "Summer Dreams"? Inquire below.

Getting it home

Pick up the painting from Zeitgeist at the end of the exhibition, or have it shipped to you. I’m happy to provide a shipping quote.