Helen Hanrahan has been a keen painter since her early teens. She works in water colour, charcoal and mixed medium. She loves painting water and landscape and more recently street scenes and nudes in charcoal/wash.

Movement, light, transient weather effects, and the randomness of nature are common themes. Her colours are vibrant and expressive. Some images are semi-abstract. On her trip to Hoi An, Vietnam in January 2007 she completed a series of roof-top paintings and a lot of pencil sketches of the boats on the river. Helen enjoys life drawing and she goes regularly to classes at Princes Hill, North Carlton.

Helen has exhibited work in galleries in Queenscliffe, Warrandyte, South Yarra, Williamstown, Aireys Inlet, North Fitzroy, Balwyn and Clifton Hill.

In 2006 she exhibited at:

• Eagles Nest Gallery, Aireys Inlet
• Canterbury Art Show
• Altona Rotary Show, Williamstown
• Contemporary Artists Society Show, Burnley Harbour
• and Gallery Edge, Clifton Hill

She completed a commission for Tortoise Head Guest House on French Island.

In conjunction with her work as an adult E.S.L teacher, Helen has worked on a number of community arts projects with refugees. She was Artist in Residence with A.M.E.S. Flagstaff during Refugee Week 1998. In 1999 she was given an on-site grant to work on a large collaborative mural with the Kosovars at the Portsea Safe Haven.