Helen Tarr is a professional artist currently based in Staffordshire. She has a BA (Hons) and MA in fine art, and specialises in painting with oils. The landscape and flora surrounding her rural home are a recurring source of inspiration for her studio and plein-air work. Helen has exhibited her paintings widely and in 2023 she won the Parker Harris and The Artist People’s Choice awards for her painting Still-Life with Lemons, in the TALP Open exhibition at Patchings Art Centre. Helen has solo exhibitions in 2024 taking place at Prema Art Centre, Gloucestershire until May 25, and at Gallery No 1 and New Court Galleries in Derbyshire later in the year. More details plus information about classes, workshops and demonstrations can be found on her website www.helentarr.art
If you are new to painting there is probably no better place to start than in your own garden. It’s private, close to home if you need anything, and you can arrange the pots and furniture any way you wish, making it the perfect location to discover the challenges and rewards of painting outdoors before you ‘go public’. If you don’t have a garden, you could ask a friend or neighbour if you could paint in theirs. It doesn’t need to be perfectly manicured either, any small outdoor space that has an appealing feel
