02/10/2026
There is a deep respect and awe for nature in Helena Coltman’s paintings 🌿
Some artists paint the world as they feel or imagine it. Helena paints the world as she knows it — attentively, and with a deep affection for the Australian landscape and the birds that surround her.
Helena is one of the most private artists I know. She prefers a quiet life, spending her days between her garden and studio, surrounded by the sounds and rhythms of nature. Technology doesn’t feature much in her world — the closest she comes is sending me the occasional photograph from her mobile phone!
She watches the birds. She photographs places that catch her eye, storing them away for future paintings. Then, in the quiet of her studio, she brings those moments to life on canvas 🦅
At 80, her enthusiasm for painting remains wonderfully undiminished. More than 500 of her original paintings have found homes through our gallery, and she is still genuinely delighted when we call to tell her another has sold.
I picked up these beautiful new works from Helena this week, meeting her as I often do in the tiny village of Yinnar, not far from her rural Gippsland home and studio. When we meet, we chat animatedly about our gardens, swap cuttings, produce and eggs, and she excitedly tells me about the next painting taking shape in her mind.
Helena seeks so little attention for herself — and yet, through her paintings, she shares so much 💙
Helena’s new works are hanging now – you may also view her paintings on our website:
https://townandcountrygallery.com.au/artist/helena-coltman/
