Little Platypus Painting

Helen Shadforth is an accomplished artist, graphic designer and reiki master living on the beautiful Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. For the past 20+ years Helen has been a successful graphic designer working both in Australia and abroad, later starting her own design house. Over the past 10 years, some of Helen’s career highlights include: creating her own children’s brand, Poss & Wom, illustrating and publishing her very own children’s picture book, ‘Once a Wommie Wombat’, launching her own surface pattern brand, Minty Baxter, collaborating with Melbourne fashion houses, designing textile prints and developing her name as a professional fine artist. Helen has been a creative for as long as she can remember - always doodling, sketching, painting and creating. She considers herself lucky to have a career doing what she loves and to have an audience who enjoys and can connect with her work. As a reiki master, Helen uses her intuition and connection to energy as a deep and influential part of the creative process. Helen says that she is painting pieces that she truly loves and feels. One of the major inspirations behind Helen’s work is the flora and fauna of Australia. Helen finds much joy in capturing the raw and rugged beauty of native Australian wildlife - particularly subjects of an unusual nature. She aims to create timeless pieces that everyone will see beauty in - not just those from and familiar with the origins. Helen also gathers her inspiration from ancient and tribal art she has discovered through her vast word travels, such as colour palettes, patterns, symbolism and expressionism. She is particularly interested in the way art is used to communicate at and tell stories.