From My Studio: Exploring Helen Alice Johnson’s Creative Process
A Colourful Life – A Video Blog
Join artist Helen Alice Johnson for A Colourful Life, a weekly video blog following the places, ideas and experiences that inspire her paintings. From beautiful gardens and changing landscapes to works in progress, exhibitions and life in the studio, Helen shares an insight into her creative process and her fascination with colour, nature, pattern and sacred geometry. Each episode offers a glimpse behind the paintings and into the landscapes and stories that inspire them.
Van Gogh Art Tour | A Trip to the South of France
This week I took a break from my studio and headed down to the South of France on a bit of a Van Gogh Art tour. It was fascinating to see how little of an impact Van Gogh had on Arles, whilst some of his most amazing paintings come from there. If you know some of Van Gogh’s paintings, it is hard not to see his paintings in every building! They all look like Van Gogh art work to me.
It was brilliant to see the site of ‘The Yellow House’, where he painted and lived with Gaugin in Arles. Unfortunately, the house was bombed during the second world war, but the background buildings are still there, so it’s easy to imagine the two inspirational painters living their life out in this beautiful part of the South of France. And the colours are amazing – beautiful light and soft stone.
The Romans also thought so, and there is far more to see regarding the Roman architecture, including a stunning Roman amphitheatre, where Van Gogh painted his painting ‘Spectators in the Arena At Arles’.
And one of my particular favourites is ‘The Café Terrace at Night’ and again, in viewing seeing this in real life, it looks just like a Van Gogh painting!