About Helena

Helena Godwin works mainly as a sculptor, carving wood and stone.
She spent her teenage years in Leamington Spa before studying Fine Art at Exeter (1983-86),
then teaching at Goldsmiths College, London (1986-87). She then spent ten years in Coventry
starting a family and working as a teacher, sculptor and community artist. She moved to
Shetland in 2001 where she lived and worked for three years. Helena returned to Leamington in
2004, since then she has had three solo exhibitions and as well as taking part in Warwickshire
Open Studios every second year since 2006.
This year she won an award for best sculpture at the Leamington Studio Artists Summer Show.
Helena produces one off sculptures in a variety of sizes and materials for interior and exterior
environments. She also runs workshops in a variety of subjects/media, for example stone
carving at the Pump Rooms Leamington and painting portraits for PHAB Kenilworth.
Helena is interested in the ground breaking 20th century sculptors such as Henry Moore and
Barbara Hepworth. Helena also draws her influences from around world. She is particularly
interested in naïve and tribal work, especially where there is a tradition of carving. A primitive or
child artist will depict what the artist knows rather than what he/she sees. Carving is a spiritual
experience, ask a piece of stone or wood what is inside. Getting to know a piece, its balance
and forms. Sometimes the object being carved has a lot to say, a story to tell. Although sculpture
(carving) is Helena's main area, she has practised painting drawing her whole career, as it feeds
and strengthens her 3D work. “You learn most when you have to teach someone else” has
proved to be true in the last 5 years when, Helena has enjoyed researching colour theory and
composition, for her evening classes at Warwickshire college (3 years). Helena has worked for
Trinity Catholic School, Leamington 2008-13 as artist in residence, working on various themes
such as Mother and Child, Intimacy and Circus. Additionally in 2014 Helena taught Life drawing
to the sixth form.
Helena has also taught a class for disabled people, since 2007, Painting for Pleasure at the
Westbury Centre, Leamington Spa. In this time she has helped raise the overall standard of the
members work and has been involved in successfully applying and delivering several projectbased
grants awarded by local and national funding bodies

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