Conversation Pieces With Artist Shelley Helms Fleishman – A Return To Home

“The light is different in Columbus. It has a different sort of smell, almost a sweetness. It’s not a floral sweetness, but more of a decaying sweetness. That sounds bad, but it’s not. It’s layers and layers of people and time, things people have built on top of floods and fields … and then flowers.”

That’s how artist and author Shelley Helms Fleishman describes the fragments of home that influence her.
I remember the first time I met the Atlanta-based artist. Her paintings spoke to me. Layers of wax and vibrant color, abstractions of experiences, fleeting moments of what was, captured in gorgeous forms that always will be.

We stood in what would become the Heritage Art Center. At the time It was just a building filled with rubble and dreams. She had a careful, optimistic smile, as we spoke of the plans for the building. She struck me as someone who knew what it meant to breathe life into decay. The heat was oppressive, but she was full of hope. She was there because she believed in a vision to make Columbus a home for artists and creatives; after all, it had been her home for many years. She was a giver, and perhaps the reason was that somewhere along the way, someone had given to her?

There has been a lot given to Shelley. Not all was good, not all was bad, but it was all still precious, and she spun it into beauty. “Parenthood has changed me. Getting cancer in my 20s changed me. Being married has demanded things from me that I didn’t expect,” she says. “Those relationships between myself and the people around me are my biggest influences. However, they are now balanced by a bigger understanding of humankind and nature than I had when I was younger. I’m more aware of nuance and conflict and beauty because of the life I’ve lived, for better or worse.”

There are many familiar and beloved people who helped shape Shelley’s creative path. Her heroes are those who shared their knowledge and time, such as Geri Davis, Gary Pound, Mage Tilley and Helen Deramus, who helped Fleishman in her journey to learn encaustic painting. Perhaps most of all, Fleishman grew up in a home surrounded by art, with a mother who taught her the value of appreciating it.

Shelley makes it a point to give. She gives life to ideas, thoughts, and feelings, but she also gives life to other creatives by purchasing works of emerging artists. When asked her reasoning for this, Shelley says it’s because, “I know how hard it is and I’ve been lucky. It took me a while to take the leap into making art full time and I have the full support of family and friends. Beyond the obvious lack of security, it is incredibly difficult to constantly put yourself out there for everyone to see. Viewers see your work and judge, instantaneously. It’s the nature of the work. It can be soul-crushing. And yet it is also so necessary and so important. I cannot imagine what kind of sad, sad, unfulfilled person I would be without art, without writing. My home would feel empty and stale without all the art I’ve collected. My worldview, my imagination would be so small without my books. So, to keep the world a positive place for other artists, I will do what I can”.

Hearing these reflections, I ask her, if you could go back and talk to that young lady from Columbus, what would you say to her?

“I would encourage her not to be afraid,” she says. “I had a certain bravado as a young person but was not truly confident in myself. I was afraid to go after what I wanted. I think a part of me didn’t believe I deserved success. Looking back, I wish I had taken advantage of more opportunities and risked more failures”. There is beauty in growing, a beauty that shows in her process.

Quite a bit of time has passed since Shelley left Columbus. She has learned, evolved and created for years now. Her work brings hope to others, whether by gracing the walls of cancer centers or by using proceeds from the sales of her work to purchase work from emerging artists. She is a fighter, a mother, a wife, a daughter and an artist. The reflections of her journey and these influences are captured in her paintings and writings.

A gathering of her collections and series will be on display in her hometown of Columbus at the Heritage Art Center for their showing of “Close At Hand” in September.

It’s a full circle moment, as she brings together all she’s experienced while creating a life away, back home. The show will take place September 22nd-24th and will feature pieces from multiple series throughout Fleishman’s career. Patrons will enjoy a variety of media and styles ranging from acrylic on canvas, mixed media, and encaustic. In addition to the show, the public is invited to a free encaustic demonstration along with an engaging Q & A with the artist on Saturday, September 23rd from 12-2pm.

More about Shelley can be found on her website SHFstudio.net or her Instagram @shf_studio.

By Karen Renee