helen l. robertson

I graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a B.A. Honours Degree in 1987. I spent the following year at the Royal College of Art in London. Over the past 18 years I have lived and worked as an artist in Glenshiel.
I paint with soft pastel as I love their immediacy and tactile qualities. I work on artist’s archival sandpaper which grips the pastel pigment as I build up the painting in layers.
I like to use strong colours, however staying with the bounds of naturalism. I also try to catch the extraordinariness of a moment of light, interplaying shadows and light to give the paintings a dynamic narrative.
My current work focuses on the seashore. I walk, camp or climb in order to capture my subject matter at different times of the day by taking photographs and making sketches. Back in my studio I use this information to construct my compositions. My kids also feature in my work, Rowan who is 10 and Hannah, who will be 8 soon.
My new studio and framing workshop is open to the public by appointment and features in Highland Open Studios.
‘Pastel colours are among the most permanent available to the artist. Treated properly a pastel will retain its strength and freshness for decades, even centuries.’ from The Complete Guide to Drawing and Painting by Colin Hayes