Helena Shave Curriculum Vitae

www.helenashave.com helena.shave@gmail.com

Education and Qualifications Ipswich School of Art Foundation course in Art and Design Bristol Polytechnic B.A. (Hons) Ceramics London University, The Institute for Education Art Teachers Certificate Suffolk Craft Society Exhibiting artist and committee member The Herts and Essex High School Art and Ceramics Teacher St. Wulstan’s Primary School Teaching Assistant. Founder of Gardening Club and Eco Coordinator The Eco Coordinator role included establishing an eco policy for the school, organising creative activities using recycled materials, alongside promoting recycling and energy saving. From 2008 I began working with beach debris in my own practice and specializing in collage. In 2011 I left education to focus on making, exhibiting and selling my own work. I have a studio in Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire and have been exhibiting and selling my original collages, prints and cards regularly. I have work in public and private collections in England, Wales and America.

Exhibitions, Galleries and Shops Foxlowe Arts Centre, Leek Spots, Southwold, Suffolk Snape Maltings, Suffolk New Victoria Theatre, Newcastle-Under-Lyme Orford Crafts, Orford, Suffolk Sustainability Hub, Keele University Three Counties Open, Keele University Oriel Plas Glyn y Weddw, Llanbedrog, Wales Artist Statement My current work is collage made using beach debris I have collected along the tide line. I am captivated by the way the sea has worn and changed these materials, and I use them as they are. My inspiration comes from these found objects, which suggest what they could become in a picture. I then search through my collection to find the right pieces to complete the image. I love the sea, winter and summer, and have always been fascinated by the natural and man-made objects that are washed up. I am always adding to my collection, whichever beach I am on. I hope my use of beach plastic, as one of my raw materials, raises awareness of what our throwaway society is doing to our seas and beaches. Among my other interests are the landscape, the environment and recycling; and I have run several creative projects with children, reusing waste materials in many different ways. Now these interests come together in my own work.