Cacti Glow by Helen McLuckie SWE

Helen McLuckie

Helen McLuckie recalls, having grown up in a Midwest blue collar family, we were once gifted boxes of big sized crayons, limited to only 8 colors, but it was enough to seed my love for art. Unfortunately, the crayons were taken from me because I was too creative on our hardwood floors. Much later, in life, I was gifted back my crayons, what a treat! Throughout my life, I have been fortunate to have cross paths with instructors and artists who have generously shared their knowledge, love and encouragement of the arts. In 1985, Helen taught herself to carve & sculpt wood. She achieved considerable success & accolades receiving multiple Best of Show and Placement Awards, along with having overcome the stereotype barrier that only a man is a woodcarver. At the Chicago Botanical Gardens Wood Carving Show she notably did this. After 20 years of sculpting/carving wood, there would be a medium change. In 2006, Helen developed an interest in painting. She has taken classes and workshops each leading her to experiment and explore with different media until she settled in with Oil Pastel as her main medium of choice. My primary go to is Oil Pastel, maybe it’s because, I can hold it in my hand like I did my crayons, although, that’s where the similarities end. I am continually learning about Oil Pastel and what I can do with it, for me it’s boundless. However, to stir up the pot of creativity I do work with other media. Helen McLuckie has received a long list of awards for her carvings & paintings at exhibits and juried shows in the Midwest and National. She is a former member + award winner of the Oil Pastel Society. Helen’s art can be found throughout the United States & Canada. In 2014, Helen along with her husband moved to Arizona from Illinois.