H D Carew

H D Carew uses her specialism in oil painting to explore her personal connection to the sea and nature by abstracting the natural world into movement, light, and colours. Carew has said that to her, “Metaphorically, the ocean represents life, the currents; each different strand of colour represents people, ideas, events, and how each connects with and affects the strand of colour next to it”. Her style sits somewhere between abstract and figurative.

Working with oil paints and a palette knife, Carew explores the energy and beauty for nature by layering colours and textures in a semi-abstract style. Carew states that she begins with “a memory or imagined feeling of being underwater, snorkelling, diving, swimming. I usually begin with the darker colours or the sand and go towards the surface and the light.” Her pieces often include raised, textured edges from the palette knife application, forming a rhythm on the canvas which makes the view different from every angle and gives the feeling of movement.

Carew has loved painting from a young age. After a year in art college in Galway, and a BA (Hons) degree in Fashion and Textile design, she worked in clothing design for many years before beginning work as an artist in 2016. She also loves swimming, snorkelling, and sailing.

Her series include “The Wave”, “Calm”, and “What Lies Beneath”.

View a selection of Helen’s work below ↓