Artist profile: Helena Gullström
April 9, 2009 by Cyndi Lavin
Filed under Home & Living
Artist: Helena Gullström
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Helena Gullstrom was born and raised in Sunne, Sweden, a small town in the western part of the country. She currently resides in Los Angeles. With painting and drawing being an important part of her life, she began serious study with Franklin Liegel at the Otis Parsons School of Art Design in Los Angeles.
My work is an extension of myself, hopefully ever expanding and evolving. I allow myself using a large array of materials, including concrete, oil, acrylic, wood, metal etc.
This enables me to always feel like as if I’m discovering something, which is a huge part of the joy in my art making. I love challenges and to see if I will be able to make something from, at least for me, a new material.
I draw my inspiration from everyday situations, conversations, nature and my affinity for textures. I get an idea for a piece and then I try to find a way of how to best execute it.
Few things are better in life than walking down the aisles of possibilities at a hardware store, full of inspiration, trying to find the right tools and materials..
Right now, I’m working on a series of sculptures and paintings made out of concrete and mixed media. I always loved concrete as a material and I’m finding that it’s a very versatile material with so many possibilities.
I find that even more than formal training, having the curiosity to explore, having passion for what you do will really make you an artist.
I see myself as the never ending student, learning new things every day and although frustrating, I learn the most from my “mistakes”.
I simply put my subconscious to work. I try to stay as real and open-minded as possible to new ideas by using surprising materials and color combinations, to allow my art and myself to evolve.
