Don’t Overthink It With Helena Emmans
Helena Emmans, artist, designer maker studied embroidered woven textiles at Glasgow School of Art, after a stay, there followed commissions, publications and exhibitions, collaborating with Coast Magazine, Love from Skye, Saatchi Gallery, Oriel Myddin Gallery, Smith Gallery Scotland, the New Craftsman, Mayfair, Birch Tree Gallery to name but a few.
Helena’s Silver Spoons soon to be exhibited at the Inverness Museum & Art Gallery as part of the Spoonful Exhibition.
A score or more ago after relocating to the Isle of Skye Helena immersed herself in the island's stunning landscapes, allowing the natural environment to shape her designs and creations. With a focus on the nature of things, detailing nature in her work, evoking a profound connection to place, culture, tradition, modernity never failing to challenge and inspire.
Helena’s designs bring the landscape of Skye through a love of the shifting rhythms, tides, seasons and shorelines, the love of creating objects of desire, inviting touch, hands and spoons a connection and a moment of pause. The spellbinding nature of Helena’s art has been cast.
Helena Emmans, artist, designer, maker, silversmith is my guest on this, the first series of Don’t Overthink It. The aim, to connect with Creatives on the Isle of Skye and discover their who, what, why and more.
Don’t Overthink It - Helena Emmans
1. Unpack the cultural significance of spoons in art?
Helena: Spoons are an essential object in everyday life, often the first utensil to be used by babies and the last to be used by the elderly when feeding themselves. Hands and spoons are intrinsically linked. For me, I’ve always loved spoons and the action of stirring a spoon in a cup of tea feels like stirring gentle memories in a moment. I think of spoons as a delicate vessel that feels both unique and universal: an ancient utensil. I think that’s why they have had such a cultural significance throughout the ages. Personally, the more delicate the lip on a spoon the better!
2. Your connection to the Isle of Skye where and when did it begin?
Helena: I moved here in September 1999. The midges were in full force but didn’t manage to put me off! My two children were brought up here, they had a lot of freedom.
3. Your one word to describe the Isle of Skye, what is it?
Helena: Beautiful.
4. Picture this, it’s summer on the Isle of Skye, the wind and rain vertical, you are standing in your favourite place, where is it and what are you listening to?
Helena: I wouldn’t be hanging around for long in that weather, but I think there’s not a favourite spot for me, just a feeling of the freshness. The sea anywhere on Skye is pretty special. I love the smell of the sea and the ever-changing light and the wind knocking you off your feet, making you feel alive.
5. Today, tomorrow, yesterday, what inspires you to create?
Helena: I think what it all boils down to is self-expression and having a sense of creating something out of nothing, from my imagination, I’ve always made things since I was tiny, it’s very much part of who I am; I can’t imagine not creating in some form. It’s not so much the finished product but the doing and the making which is very satisfying. I love the variety of different mediums. I love making things with my hands that have my heart and soul in them. I am inspired by the beautiful ever-changing light and water around the Isle of Skye, because it’s where I live but I think I’d be inspired wherever I lived I’d just make different work.
6. Yes, or no?
Helena: Yes.
7. What comes first in actualising your ideas and designs?
Helena: Just playing around, mucking around with mediums, feeling itchy to make something, trying things, making loads of mistakes and feeling frustrated that everything is rubbish and then working through to a point where it feels good and then rubbish again and again and then sort of ok… a bit of a strange process!
8. What is the significance of ‘tread lightly’ in your practice?
Helena: Forgive the process of feeling frustrated when things don’t work out I suppose. It’s easier to say than to do.
9. What brings the freedom, joy, and stillness, describe yourself in those moments?
Helena: Sometimes just holding something in my hands, it can be something I have made or something made by another maker. Generally, it’s an object made by someone else’s hands and knowing the connection of creativity in the creative world through history and now is alive and well. The thought that other people are out there creating their own things through their imagination and what carries on is a joyful, peaceful and hopeful thought. I have a wooden table and clock made by a friend which is so beautifully made by his hands; I have pottery cups and teapots and jugs made by a friend, her hands, these things made with love and care are now in my hands which is pretty special. Creativity carries on and connects me to them and their essence.
10. What book are you reading or writing or listening to?
Helena: I support a brilliant man who has Downs Syndrome so it was the Venga Boys’I like to Party’! Lucky for him I have an eclectic music taste!
11. What lies and reveals itself in the landscape to connect your work to place?
Helena: I think it’s the palette of Skye that I particularly like. The rhythms, the water, the organic shapes and the changing light all add to the sense of place in my work.
12. Your relationship with the rhythms, tides, seasons and shorelines, describe it?
Helena: These qualities are all around on Skye. Ever present gentle movement I think infuses my work; all my work has a movement to it, a hand-drawn line running through my silver spoons, my paintings and hand-dyed thread pieces, nothing is perfect or over finished, it has a natural quality to it.
13. Name your favourite spoon and why?
Helena: ‘Starry Night Reflections’ I think it’s because I like what it conjures up in my memory, clear starry nights and reflections in pools are magical.
14. What question would you ask yourself, share the answer?
Helena: Where does the time go? I’m grateful to be alive and healthy and able to enjoy it, a lot of people I know haven’t been so fortunate.
Thank you, Helena Emmans my super creative spoon.