Helen Cartmell

Not too long ago, I had the lovely occasion to meet an extraordinary artist in my area—Helen Cartmell—well-known for many years. She is in her mid-eighties, widowed the past few years, and living on her own. Although not in the best of health, and in some pain, she paints and draws every day. Every day. Not only was I allowed into her studio to sit and talk, but then also saw a retrospective covering 40 plus years of her work at a nearby gallery. What an opportunity to see the journey one woman has taken over her career offered in one setting.

She works in various mediums, drawing with pen and ink, painting in acrylics and oils. I was able to observe in her artwork several things that impressed me: her unusual palette, her composition, and the poses in figurative works. Her subjects are places from memory where she has traveled, portraits and studies of people she meets, or a still life she may set up in her studio. Her style is a blend of realism seen through a wonderful lens of abstraction. Even her color palette is something uniquely her own. The rich earth tones she mixes herself remind me of paintings from the Renaissance. Then there are her sketches! They are works of art in themselves. Her love for drawing clearly informs her artwork, and it is a passion I, too, share.

Other things that impressed me came from listening to her. In learning more about her story, she clearly worked hard at her art during a time here in Detroit when it wasn’t easy being a woman. Part of what makes her special to me as a role model is that she has never accepted being a woman as a limitation—and she’s lived during years when this was truly a handicap to overcome. Also the energy she puts into her painting. She paints for herself what pleases or catches her imagination, not just to sell.

During her exhibition, a local group of women artists gathered to see her show and hear her talk briefly. I was impressed with her interest in these other artists, the open discussion of her techniques, and the generous way she shared her time. Some advice she gave to us younger artists: paint and draw all the time; also get out there and see the art that is happening—galleries, museums, any and everywhere. She ended with something I will not forget, “…rejections, take them as a reminder to never, never, never give up.”

This is the very best of what a talented artist can contribute and inspire in others.