Helena Tarn Art

If you follow my website or my Instagram, you will know that last summer I released a series of work entitled ‘Laze’. The word laze is not made up (I promise!). It is a combination of the words lava and haze — is the product of a chemical reaction that happens when molten lava hits the ocean.

For the Laze series of work, I wanted to embody the chaotic energy and explosive force of nature – a natural phenomenon resulting in both awe and terror and which has captivated humankind for centuries. Each striking painting is named after one of the world’s most fear inspiring volcanoes. Read more about the collection here.

I love to release prints. I believe art should be available to everyone but not everyone can afford an original painting. Prints are an affordable, yet stylish way to update your home. As a result I’m thrilled to be able to add two new prints to my collection which are available to purchase here.

Hekla

This painting was inspired by my trip to Iceland. Hekla is an active volcano that dominates the landscape to the east of Reykjavik. Surrounded by geysers and rich, moss covered lava fields, the landscape is barren and windswept. But there is something very tranquil about the land, despite the constant activity surrounding it. The rich blues give this painting a calming nature and the rocky, textured horizon remind us of what has been and what may soon happen again. The print comes in two sizes; A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) and A3 (11.7 x 16.5 inches) and it can be purchased here.

Slieve Gullion

Although Ireland is not necessarily known for its volcanoes, it certainly is a land that has experienced its fair share of volcanic activity. I was really excited to discover that some of Ireland’s wild and rich landscapes are in fact either extinct volcanoes, or the result of a volcanic eruption.

Close to my heart (and my postcode!) is Slieve Gullion. Slieve Gullion is an extinct volcano which dominates the surrounding landscape. Steeped in mysterious Irish legend with a rich archaeological heritage, this ancient volcano is built up of layers of igneous rock. Legend has it that an old hag transformed herself into a beautiful girl to entice the mythical giant Finn McCool to retrieve a golden ring she had dropped in the lake on the top of the mountain. However, upon emerging from the lake, Finn was greeted by the hag and found that his hair had turned white – a weak old man, the crater lake having sapped his strength and vitality.

The painting uses bold brushstrokes in rich terracotta – my favourite time of year in Autumn when the heather turns gold. And spot the little ‘tarn’ on the face of the mountain. Slieve Gullion is covered in pine trees, gorse and purple heather and is a beautiful and popular hill walk which I would definitely recommend if you happen to be in the area and you fancy a walk in giants’ footsteps. The print comes in two sizes; A4 (8.3 x 11.7 inches) and A3 (11.7 x 16.5 inches) and can be purchased here.

I hope you love the prints as much as I enjoyed painting them. The results really are beautiful. I work closely with a printer to ensure the that the reproductions are as close to the original as possible. The original piece is scanned and then the image is inkjet printed (giclée) to give a bright, luminous and archival finish. In addition, the paper is a lush thick watercolour card. You would be forgiven if you thought it was an original piece!

Please have a look at the prints in my Etsy shop and let me know what you think in the comments below! I’d love to hear what you think.

For further reading on how the Laze collection came into existence please read the blog posts Part I and Part II. And for a bit more information on volcanos in Ireland, please see my blog post here.

Happy reading!

Until next time,