I'm Helen Dale, based in Carshalton, Surrey and I sculpt with paper pulp and do a bit of 2D work with acrylics and pastels. Never studied art except at school, which was way too boring so abandoned it for a very long time after, though I did a bit of portraiture, designed/made books and random arty things now and again.
Childhood was all about drawing, ballet and gymnastics; none of it encouraged. Apparently it was all a waste of time and art wasn't a proper job. And I believed it. After years trying to find the 'right' career I finally acknowledged that I should always have been doing something creative and had a go at sculpting.
Tried polymer clay first (too fragile for making fingers, and heavy but sooo lovely to work with), then plaster (too slow and even heavier), paper mache (too slow and lacked refinement) before stumbling on paper pulp aka recycled egg boxes! I can vary the texture, get the detail I want and make pieces that are very light but also very strong. I reuse and recycle paper, bits of wire from spiral bound note books, busted umbrellas, paper clips and anything else that might work with a finished piece.
Don't go expecting some kind of fine art approach here. I’m self-taught, always think I don't know enough and am much too DIY for my own good. I write about tips discovered along the way, experiments, mistakes, occasional self-sabotage and the steady progress forward as I learn to actually take my own advice now and again.
I have a ton of ideas for the future and have to restrain myself from trying to do them all at once. At least I'll never be bored.