CLINTON HELMS

About the Artist:

 Clinton Helms started studying art at a very young age and later went on to study at the Lorenzo de Medici Art Institute of Florence, in Florence Italy before receiving his BFA in Illustration from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1999.  Shortly after graduation, Clinton started C. Helms STUDIO as a freelance illustrator to take on assignments from various magazines and children's book publishers.  In 2001 Clinton retired from the United States Army Reserves at the rank of SFC with over twenty-one years of service to become a full-time artist.  His work has appeared in both solo and group exhibitions in Virginia from his hometown of South Hill to Washington DC. Clintons' work has also appeared in invitational art shows at the Society of Illustrators in New York City, the Art Institute of Washington in Arlington, VA., and at the Department of Visual Arts at Chowan College in Murfreesboro North Carolina.  He is currently a member of the Richmond Illustrators Group, The Washington, Maryland, and Virginia Illustrators Club, and the Portrait Society of America. His work is currently displayed at the Crossroads' Art Center in Richmond, VA, where his has been teaching work shops in painting in Oils and Acrylics for the past year and a half. He also has been teaching various drawing classes at his Aimer Marta as an Adjunct Instructor in the Art Foundation Department for the past four years.  Clinton received his MFA in Fine Art from Marywood University in Scranton, PA., with their "Get your Master's with the Masters Program" in 2007.  Clinton currently teaches Drawing and Painting at Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, VA and at Virginia State University in Petersburg, VA and he also teaches a Acrylic & Oil Painting Workshop at Crossroads' Art Center in Richmond, VA. He is currently co-owner of CandEart's Studio, which specializes in Imagery for Children's books, Illustration, Commissioned Portraits, Advertising, Graphic Design, and Photography with his wife and business partner Ella B.H.Helms.

  Early and Current Artists influences:

 As a young artist, I was heavily influenced by the works of the Renaissance masters' such as Titian, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Peter Paul Rubens, Raphael and other great artists work that I saw in the family Bible growing up. Later on, one of my high school art teachers Mrs. Vivian C. Ross introduced me to the works of Norman Rockwell, Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth, and John Singer Sergeant. Although I continue to admire and study all of these artists' works, I have shifted my focus to some of the more up to date and contemporary illustrators and portrait artists of today like Burton Silverman, Daniel Green, and Jacob Collins to name a few. By studying theses artists I have discovered that we all have at one time, or another been heavily influenced by the same artists, and  that we all believe that learning to draw well is key to becoming a successful artist.

 SOLO & GROUP SHOWS

The Richeson 75 International Landscape, Seascape & Architectural Art Competition Juried art show, Kimberly, WI. 2009.  

The Richeson 75 International Figure/Portrait  Art Competition Juried art show, Kimberly, WI. 2009

Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts Regional Art Show  Fredericksburg, VA 2009

Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts (Fine Line Theme Art Show) Fredericksburg, VA  2009

South Hill Spring Feast Art Competition  South Hill, VA   May. 2009

Featured Artist at Goochland Public Library January 2009 Goochland, VA. 2009

Crossroads Art Center Juried art show, Richmond, VA.    2008

 Black History Museum and Cultural Center of Virginia first Friday Exhibition. Black Renaissance: Celebrating African-American Arts, Traditions, and Community Richmond, VA   2007

 National Arts Program® Exhibition Show, Pine Camp, Richmond, Va.   2007

 Group Show with the Richmond Illustrators Club, at the Richmond Public Library, Richmond, Va. 2007                                            

Group Show with the Illustrators Club of Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia held at PEPCO's Edison Place Gallery in downtown Washington.    2006                                                                            

 Group Show with the Illustrators Club of Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia held at PEPCO's Edison Place Gallery in downtown Washington.     2005                                    

 Solo Art Show at the Richmond Public Library, Headquarters branch on West. Franklin Street, Richmond, Va.   2004

Solo Art show at, the R.T. Arnold Public Library, in South Hill, Va.   2003                                                                                      

 Group Show at Chowan Community College in North Carolina   2002                                

Participant in the "Prevailing Human Spirits," Group Show at the New York Society of Illustrators in NY City, after the terrorist attacks on 9/11.     2001                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

  PROFESSIONAL CLUB MEMBERSHIPS

U.S. Air Force Arts Program                                                                       2010-Present

Los Angeles Society of Illustrators                                                             2009-Present

Fredericksburg Center For the Creative Arts                                                2008-Present

Crossroads Art Center Artist in Resident Membership                                       2007-2009

Illustrators Club of Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia                             2004-2008

International Portrait Society of America                                                         2000-2008

Richmond Illustrators Club                                                                           1999-2007