Meet Helen DeRamus | Fine artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Helen DeRamus and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
After forty years, I am excited every day to come to my studio which is housed in a 1940’s art deco style building in Marietta, Georgia. I would never say creating art is easy. And that is why seven days a week you find me engaged in work that might include reading, writing, taking photographs, and listening to music. Creating work I love is my goal and sharing my vision is of paramount importance.

I work as an oil painter creating large paintings, monotypes and drawings. I draw every morning to start the day. The drawings are free flowing images that are created on paper. The series is called “sisters” and they form work that is quite apart from my paintings, very personal. There are hundreds of drawings accumulated over several years.

My paintings are created with oil paint and I spend many hours painting with multiple paintings in progress. The images come from landscape memories; many I recorded using photographs and drawings. The paintings have many layers, each layer serving as a metaphor for the passage of time. I want to use the layers to reveal how memory may be recorded with color, texture and shape. The idea is for the viewer to connect with their own remembrance of landscape. My process I think of as aging the surface. Many of my collectors see my paintings as peaceful. That is a compliment I take very seriously.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When my best friends visit, I’m likely to have them enjoy some of my favorite places such as the Atlanta Botanical Gardens, the High Museum of Art and the many art galleries that provide a huge variety of art disciplines. My favorite restaurants run the gamut from the Marietta Diner, as seen on the Food Network to Zucca a neighborhood restaurant and sports bar not far from my studio. The Battery where the Atlanta Braves play ticks all the boxes for a venue with so many choices of restaurants and a trip to the Fox Theatre is a must see for it’s history in the city of Atlanta.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I have so many to thank for their support of my career in art. Number one is my husband who has supported me from the very beginning. His encouragement is always there. My artist friends are supportive as well many whom I know through the Women’s Caucus for the Arts. The late Joseph Perrin is at the top of the list for his guidance when I started painting. And last but not least, all my family and the artists I mentor who continue to give me feedback and support at just the right times.

Website: http://www.helenderamusartist.com

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/hderamus

Linkedin: http://www.linkin.com/helenderamus

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/helen.deramus

Other: http://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/helenderamusstudio