Biography

Helen Dougall studied fine art in the early 60’s in London, first at the Polytechnic in Regent Street, and then at Chelsea School of Art. Later she trained as an art teacher at the Institute of Education, University of London. While teaching in London secondary schools she continued with her own work, experimenting with printmaking and batik on textiles. Helen moved to Suffolk with her family in 1975, where the large open landscape fired her enthusiasm for painting, drawing and producing batik textiles. In the 80’s she attended one of Noel Dyrenforth’s batik courses.

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Helen taught art and design at Suffolk College in Ipswich, until she left in 1997 to continue with her own work. She now runs three day batik courses in her studio.

Since then, she has taken part in a number of exhibitions, including “Suffolk Open Studios”. In the year 2000 Helen worked with primary school children on a large batik wall‑hanging to commemorate the Millennium, a project funded by the National Lottery. Helen is a member of the Suffolk Craft Society,  the Batik Guild  and  Artworks.

Exhibitions

1999	Solo exhibition, Aldeburgh Poetry Festival.
2003	“Looking West”, Batik Guild, Carmarthen, Wales. Artworks, Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham, Bury St. Edmunds.
2005	“Eastern Promise” Bury St. Edmunds Art Gallery
2006 – 2007	“Batik Transitions”, Batik Guild Touring Exhibition
2010	Wingfield Barns, nr. Eye, Artworks. “Suffolk Showcase” Bury St. Edmunds Art Gallery.
2011	The Batik Guild’s 25th Anniversary National Exhibition, The Lillie Art Galery, Glasgow
Annually	Exhibitions with Artworks every September at Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham, Nr. Bury St. Edmunds. Also with Suffolk Craft Society every summer at Peter Pears Gallery, Aldeburgh. And continuously at Gallery 2, Town Hall, Ipswich.
4th Feb to 5th March 2012	Currently showing work at Sea Pictures Gallery, Clare, Suffolk.