Kiama artist Helen Pain paints with a sense of rhythm - as though the music within her spills out onto the canvas.

Her artworks are filled with fluidity and movement, a natural extension of her musical background.

Before picking up a paintbrush, Helen had an extensive career as a professional singer in musical theatre and opera, followed by a series of influential roles in regional and state music education - including Choral Director and later Associate Director of the Schools Spectacular.

After retiring, she needed a new outlet for the creative energy that had always defined her. That’s when painting entered her life.

“My dad was an artist, and my mum was a china decorator,” Helen said.

“So I grew up with a lot of art around me, but I was so busy performing and enjoying music that I didn’t really explore art until I retired.”

Over time, Helen began to realise just how deeply music had shaped her approach to art.

“I never paint anything that doesn’t have movement or flow,” she said.

“I don’t listen to music while I paint, but I find myself painting musically anyway - thinking about rhythm and timing, repetition and contrast. There’s always that sense of motion.”

Some of Helen's works. Photos supplied.

Now, Helen is preparing to launch her new solo exhibition Light Up My World, on display at Kiama’s Old Fire Station gallery from Friday 27 June to Wednesday 2 July.

The opening event on Friday promises to be extra special, with a live performance from the Bonaira Ukulele Group at 3pm - a group Helen herself plays with.

“We’ve been playing together for a couple of years now - there are 14 of us - and we have such a great time,” she said. 

“We’ve done a few performances, mostly in retirement villages, and I thought, what better way to open my exhibition than to bring together my two great passions: music and art.”

Helen is also a former president of the Kiama Arts Society, a role she held for seven years. She credits the group with helping her grow as a painter.

“It’s a fantastic community for ideas, encouragement, and friendship,” she said. “Some of the most valuable lessons came from informal interactions with other members.”

Though she often paints landscapes, Helen’s works are far from literal. She approaches scenes with an impressionistic eye - and a unique creative process.

“I don’t like to paint places I haven’t been,” she said. “I take lots of photos when I’m out, then I put the photos away and ask myself: what do I actually remember about that place?

"What drew me to it? What was the feeling? Then I try to paint that - the memory, not the photo.”

Now, she’s excited to share her latest work with the local community - in a space she holds dear.

“It’s just lovely to hear people’s reactions, to connect, and to be part of such a vibrant local arts scene. Kiama has so many incredible artists - it’s amazing how it’s growing.

"We’re really lucky to have a public space like the Fire Station for exhibitions that’s right in the heart of town.”

Make sure to stop by the Old Fire Station from 3pm on Friday to enjoy Helen Pain’s colourful blend of visual art and live music - a celebration of a life lived in creativity.