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Helen Fraser

Under One Sky from Helen Fraser

While working as a psychologist during the pandemic I created paintings that incorporate the colour of the sky, drawing on mythology that speaks to the vitality of the sky as a protective force. The overarching sky became a symbol that helped me feel connected to others while experiencing gri... more

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Is this Really Happening? by Helen Fraser
  • Helen Fraser
  • Is this Really Happening?, 2020
  • Acrylic on MDF
  • 90.5 x 60 x 0.5 cm
  • AU$649

This is the first work created in this collection. It was a few months into the pandemic and I was working from home as a psychologist. There was a tsunami of need in the community and it was coming right at me. Old clients were returning along with a flood of new ones. It was hard to turn anyone away and a lot of people were financially stressed having lost their jobs. So I started to use acrylic painting to let out my feelings.

Acrylic paint is a medium that dries quickly and is easy to clean up. It gave me the ability to snatch time between clients, at lunch time or after work in short bursts. The colour gave me an instant sense of relief and joy. I became obsessed with the Matisse Flow shade of Australian Sky Blue, selected during one of my on-line purchases from Eckersleys Art Store.

Suddenly I found a palette that made my heart sing. A combination of earthy colours inspired by the Australian bush, where I spend half of my childhood. Being stuck inside almost all of the time, I longed to be more connected to nature. And I missed (to my surprise), the daily commute to Melbourne where I would see the expansive sky there and back. It was not until it was gone that I knew how much joy it had bought me.