Still Waters Run Deep: Plumbing the Depths of Helen Lewis's Calming, Minimalist Encaustic Paintings

And today we are speaking with artists, Helen Lewis, who is joining us from the Portland art gallery in Portland, Maine, and a lovely showing of your work behind you. Thank you so much for being here today, Helen. Oh, Thank you, Lisa, for having me and thank you for I'm thrilled to have my work hanging this month. Well, this has been an interesting time to have a showing as an artist. Um, you, uh, were used to having showings and people come in and there's a nice art opening and people walk around and they, um, have a glass of wine. And we're doing this a little bit differently during the times of COVID. How has this impacted you? Well, I, it is certainly different. We're in the midst of some different times, but I feel as though, um, particularly the Portland art gallery has done a wonderful job of, um, really making some great adjustments. I hate to use the word pivot. It seems like your pivot every time you, um, everywhere you go, you hear about people pivoting these days, but they truly have done an exemplary job of doing so Now when you're getting ready for an opening, how much time does it take to get all of the pieces that you would like together so that they're ready to be put up on the walls and available for people to look at In terms of painting time? You mean, um, I've devoted. I would have to even really think about some of these I started many, many months ago. And then, um, you know, just deciding how it's all gonna go together, whether maybe I'm, um, could use more in a particular size or something to help blend the show overall. Um, almost as you think of words, I try to think of even some transitional pieces that will help pull things together, um, for the gallery rather than abrupt, just changes and color palette or style. Um, so yeah, many months and then lots of time packing and loading vehicle to get it here. We were very relieved that we had just a few inches to spare in our Subaru to get, get the work here. And when you say we, this would be My husband, Brad and I brought, has been great about helping me haul artwork around the country, as well as, um, you know, just helping me get it wrapped and packed and so forth. He just to be, thank you, Brad. Thank you, Brad. I also agree it's very important to have a supportive person in your life and you two have been, um, supporting each other in many different ways for a long time. Not only do you have twins, um, but you now have four grandchildren and you've worked together on a business designing and providing books for hospitals for new babies. Is that all True? That is all true. Yes. For many, many years that's been Brad's main business and many years ago I designed the baby record book that is used as the kind of cornerstone for that business. And I believe at this point, uh, we just did a revamp on website and so forth. And we figured out that over a million copies of my book, um, have been given out to new parents at this to date. So that's kind of shocking, um, for us when we really tallied it up. Um, it means we've printed a lot of baby books. Um, but anyway, yeah, it's been fun. So that means that you and Brad actually occupy an important space in a family's, um, new young life. Really you you're you're, uh, essentially entering into these people's homes at a really important time. Yes, yes. And the book is designed so that it is a place to record he, um, key events key first, um, and to kind of just journal about different events in your child's life from birth clear through age seven. So it's something that gets used and hopefully passed along when that child reaches adulthood or begins to have children of their own. Um, it's, it's a bit, um, somewhat falling out of fashion with some of, um, um, you know, some of the new moms now they're wanting to just do everything online. Um, but I think that they'll find that they'll be glad to have something in their own handwriting, something that, you know, is a tangible object that they can pass along at some point, rather than just one more, um, website or app that someone needs to log into in order to, um, get to see some of those really important memories. Your life professionally has actually been interwoven with the idea of, um, the importance of story and healing. I mean, not only were you involved with communications, um, in the medical, uh, but you also have, um, done this baby book. You've also been working on your art as your own kind of, I would assume some sort of reflection of your own personal story. When did you first understand that story was important? Um, I'm not certain when I first really, um, grasped with that on a deep level. I think it's something that I've always known, but for much of my life struggled with a bit, because some of the circumstances of my life are rather unusual and, um, painful. Um, and there was a tendency I think, on my part to, um, just kind of slough things off or, um, maybe not answer real directly or given very many details, I guess I wasn't ready to really fully embrace and acknowledge how much the details of my life have really impacted who I am. Um, I saw it as a negative and I've reached a place where I now know that, um, although, you know, it was difficult and, and there was a darkness that a lot of light comes out of darkness and that all of those stages were, um, very, very important, um, in helping me to reach the place where I am today. And I feel as though, you know, as I'm working even still, um, that I, that I have that lesson sort of driven home for me. Um, even through the nature of my work, um, you know, as I'm layering, I worked in a very layered way in both the cold wax and oil and the encaustic. And as I'm working on those layers, um, there are many of those layers that are, um, you know, maybe not the most attractive, maybe not a color that I would necessarily want to end up as strongly visible on the surface, but they're all necessary. And, um, particularly with the cold wax, you know, as I'm applying pressure as I'm, um, you know, adding additional layers, um, going back in with, um, tools to scrape and carve and excavate, um, it actually causes some of those colors to blend and meld together or a color that maybe wouldn't have been, um, something that I would want as a key in a particular painting, um, really will pop and make a huge difference to the overall composition when I've done that excavating. And so I really often see parallels, um, between my work and my life. Um, you know, I even just see the amount of loss in my life and yet, um, out of that, I really appreciate the people that are around me now. And, um, I don't know, I just can see the overall story, as you said, and, um, realize the importance of that, that kind of every chapter matters In your case, part of your story was losing your parents at a relatively young age and, um, that may not have been something that you could have processed even at that point. Um, but you, you did do, you were able to start drawing and you were able to start engaging in your art even back then. Do you think that was an attempt, um, with your young mind to understand the story, um, before you could actually kind of intellectually understand it? It may very well have been. I do know that I have very distinct memories as a very young child of sitting and drawing and painting and, um, just really being able to feel very focused on what I was doing and, um, feel more secure and more content. Um, you know, I think that as a result of my circumstances, I, I tend to overthink things. Um, you know, I was, I was about five and a half when I lost my parents. I lost my mother first. Um, she passed away at home. Um, and about probably three weeks later, my father took my two brothers and me. Um, we lived in Frederick, Maryland at the time and he took us to, um, new Orleans. That was his favorite city. I think that he wanted to just get away. Um, he needed a break, um, on, so while we were there, um, my father ended up having an acute pancreatitis attack and he ended up in a hospital in new Orleans and passing away and we didn't have family there. So, you know, I've very distinct memories of all of that and flying from new Orleans to, um, Ohio, where I went to live with my father's brother. Um, but coming into that situation, I think I was, you know, I w I was a sensitive child. I was very aware and I sort of had this knowledge I'm, I'm in this house where I don't necessarily belong. Um, and it wasn't always easy there. Um, and so I tend to anticipate and really think through everything, every conversation and, you know, kind of trying to stay two steps ahead to not make it any more of an issue that, or any more of a problem, you know? And so as a child, my art was a time when I could shut all of that off and really find some joy. And that has stayed with me definitely even as I've, you know, come to a place where I've processed a lot more of that. Um, I also, um, lost a brother. Uh, one of my brothers was only 18 months older than I am. And, um, one week before my high school graduation, um, he was killed in a car accident. And, um, you know, our art was something that David and I shared as well. My brother David, you know, he painted, I painted with the whales as a child and, um, he painted and drew and, um, you know, so that was another significant loss. And yet now, as I'm to a place where more is happening with my arts over the last, you know, 15 years or so as I've really devoted a lot more time to, um, my art practice, my creative practice, you know, I think he would have just taken so much joy himself out of that so much pleasure. So It has, I'm hearing your story and thinking about the five and a half year old that you were in new Orleans and just abruptly losing your father and having your brother is clearly not that much older than you were also just being kind of in the city and having gone from two parents to no parents. And just the three of you. It's it's, I mean, I, I feel chills. I feel like this is something that you pick any one of those things, and it could really impact somebody's life. You had all of those things. And then later on you had this additional, um, significant loss and it's, um, I just, it's, it's hard to fathom really. Yeah, it's, it's kind of a lot. Um, and yet, as I said, I'm to a place where, you know, a great deal of healing has come, my faith has really helped with that. Um, and I really see how, as I said, all of the, um, aspects of my personality that have come out of that, they really, you know, they, they serve me now well, and, um, you know, I'm at, I'm going to a place where I have a lot more peace just about all of it. Um, and actually, you know, where I can look back and realize how blessed I've been, um, you know, peace tranquility. I don't know, um, if you see it in my work, but it very much matters to me. And it's, it's probably the key in all of my work that I do. I want that sense of peace, that sense of, um, you know, tranquility and, and, um, I, I want it to come through loud and clear, you know, there's so much noise around us, whether you've lived a life, that's a bit unusual like mine, but everyone has pain. And especially, um, in the days in which we find ourselves right now, there is just noise everywhere. And so I want my art to be a place, um, that, that really, you know, someone can, can view and focus and, um, you know, really that's the takeaway that, um, you know, I want that centeredness that I feel when I'm working. I want that to be clearly evident, um, in my work, you know, I, it's a very, my practice is very meditative. There's a repetition involved. Um, you know, I come from a place where I try very much to, to quiet myself to, you know, it's a prayerful, quiet, centered focus that needs to happen in order for my work to flow. And when I attempt to do my arts, when I attempt to paint, um, without tapping into that, it just, it doesn't go well, I'm never happy. I ended up, you know, well, that's going to take five more layers to cover that, whatever that I did that I'm now not, not really. So yeah, it's, it's definitely a thread. And, um, th the idea of story is definitely there. You see it even, um, in some of my work that I love to incorporate bits of old books, spine, um, you know, old script. Um, and I worked, as you said, in advertising and communication before my twins were born and did a lot of writing. So words are really important to me as well. And, um, it's, it's a joy to be able to, even if it's just a little bit of book spine to add some extra texture. I know that that little bit of story is also there. Um, as you are drawn in, and as you look closely at my work, you're going to see it, Helen, tell me about some of the pieces that are behind you on the walls of the Portland art gallery. Tell me what, um, what are some of the things that you were thinking about as you were creating them? Um, some of the ideas you were trying to incorporate into them. Okay. Um, well, directly over my right shoulder is a piece called still. Um, my titles are very, very important to me. I put a lot of, um, a lot of thought, a lot of prayer, a lot of really seeking, um, as I come up with those titles and that particular piece is called still, it's very tranquil. Um, it's very layered. Um, there's a sort of, um, expansiveness, I think, to the piece and, um, you know, that's another concept that really matters to me, I think, as we focus in and, um, you know, as we are living from that place, that, um, there is an expansiveness, you know, there's, um, you come into a broad place, not a restrictive place. And, um, so that kind of came into play with that particular piece. Um, the next piece that's over my head is one that I incorporated a lot of older Femara. Um, there is, I believe some old script from the very early 19 hundreds. Um, I think it's French. I'm trying to remember. What's actually in there, um, beautiful old, um, calligraphic handwriting. That's there as well as, um, some bits from an old book that was falling apart and, um, some, um, graphic sheets from an old player piano role. So, um, you know, there are several bits of ephemera that are in there, but, you know, as I'm doing all of my pieces, there's a fine line. And I know when I've crossed it, when I've put a bit too much in one, it's losing that of peace. Um, and to the degree that sometimes like, I'll look , I feel as though I'm at a place where things are approaching a finished point, and, and maybe as I stand back and look, I have a concern that it's a little too minimalistic. It's a little too simple looking. And so I've gone back in and added more. And I immediately knew, no, it was stronger before it felt more like me. It was more and aligned with, with who I am before. And so, you know, whether it's scraping back or, you know, covering up with more layers, um, I do what I need to do in order to get it back to where, um, there's that comfort level of, yes, there's just enough, you know, I want, I want the viewer to be drawn in. Um, I feel like we are invited deeper us. People were invited, um, especially those of us that our faith and our spirituality matters. We're invited deeper all the time. And, um, I want to mere that in my work. I want my work to be such that it draws the viewer in deeper so that, you know, it could be the fifth, 30th time they've looked at that piece and they'll notice a bit of texture in a corner or a little something peaking out from an earlier layer that they hadn't noticed previously. So I really, my texture on the surface matters so much when I begin to get a bit of texture. I really work to capitalize on that. Um, typically as I worked, you know, even all the pieces that I'm seeing behind me, and I may have a general idea of something that I hope to achieve when I start in on a painting. Um, but then as I work because of the nature of my medium, you know, when you're taking an open flame to Moulton beeswax, um, sometimes you can't really control exactly what's going to happen. And so, as I see how the wax is responding to the torch, that particular day, I will, um, you know, just follow that and follow whatever inner nudges are coming to me, whatever direction is coming. And I'll try to capitalize on that, you know, as I go to really emphasize or to, you know, just kind of switch gears as I need to. Um, and that in itself has also been, it's a great medium for me in that respect in terms of my life as well, that I think, um, you know, I didn't always live an expansive life. I lived a very controlled, I'm going to make sure that I'm not inconveniencing any more than my very presence already is. Um, and so I, I led a pretty, I kept things pretty tight and pretty controlled. And, um, so this art practice has been wonderful in that respect because there's only so much control that I can, um, exercise particularly over, you know, when it comes to the encaustic and yes, you learn skill and technique and you get to a place where you can make those layers do more, um, as you're visualizing, but still there's that wild card. And there's that bit of lack of control. That is really good for me. That's really good for me emotionally and mentally and just in my life. I think What about the piece that is behind me? It's a, it's a large piece with, it's got a broad swath of kind of cream color across the top, and then, um, interesting striking a rectangle of blue in the corner, and then there's a softness, uh, around all of it, probably due to the encaustic that you're describing. Um, tell me about this piece. Um, that piece, I believe also has, um, embedded a lovely old document from France that I actually found at the Marston house. If you're familiar with Marston house here in Maine, they used to be in Wisconsin, and now they're out on one of the islands and that was, um, in a little stash of papers from France. They spend half of their year in the South of France, and I found that little treasure there, and I just loved the script and the softness of the, the color. Um, and so that is embedded in that as well. So there's that idea of story. Um, and then yes, just the, the white at the top. And, um, it feels like there's an area where you can breathe. Um, you know, I mean, obviously I love color field work. I love Rothko's work, um, for that reason, but, um, yeah, I just, there's a certain, um, a certain almost geometric, you know, I have a son who's an architect. And so I do like order. I like, um, uh, things that are, uh, not, not to, um, wild in terms of placement. Um, and that piece in particular, you know, that comes through in that. Um, but yeah, that's, um, I did a whole series of those and I think at this point, that's the one remaining piece in that series. I was sad to see that sad to see all those, uh, French script pieces from Marston house get used, but, And the name of the one behind me as what I think that it is something along the lines of, um, a story worth telling or it's. So now knowing a few more details about my life, um, you can see why some of those titles emerge. So if someone were to, um, have a piece of you or artwork, they're really bringing a piece of your story into their home and, um, acknowledging in some ways this important layering of life that we all experience. Yes, that's true. And the healing that can be found now, the piece that can be found out of myriad of circumstances, Which brings us back around to where we started this conversation, this idea that we are all of us in this, um, strange, chaotic, um, disjointed time and needing the, um, ability to kind of focus in, as you've said, and, um, at the same time remain expansive and not fearful and, and figure out a way through with some sense of healing on all of our parts. Very true, very well said. Thank you, Lisa. That's a wonderful summary, Helen. I have really enjoyed learning about you. And, um, it's impressive to hear your willingness to speak your truth because, um, as I said, just hearing it, I could, I could feel the, the sadness and the impact that this had on your life as a young child. So your willingness to, uh, allow this pain to come to the surface is really powerful. Um, and I appreciate learning about your art. I I'm really, um, I'm struck by the story within a story and just the idea that you're bringing something forward, that all of us can appreciate. Thank you so much. I appreciate that, Lisa, thank you for saying that. I've been speaking with artists, Helen Lewis, who is with the Portland art gallery. I encourage people who happen to be in the Portland area to go in and really experience Helen's work. It is a powerful in person to be sure if you're not able to get there. We do have our virtual art opening at the Portland art gallery as we are every month. Um, this is Dr. Lisa Belisle. You have been listening to, or watching radio Maine with artists, Helen Lewis. Thank you so much, Helen. Thank you so much for having me, Lisa. Truly appreciate it. It's been fun. Thank you.