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Helen Dannelly
Working Sculpturally with Fosshape and Encaustic
Working Sculpturally with Fosshape and Encaustic
Join award-winning sculptor Helen Dannelly for this fascinating demonstration of how to work three-dimensionally with Fosshape, a unique, spun polyester material originally used for large, lightweight theater costumes and props. Topics covered include: various weights and colors of Fosshape, working large techniques for shaping, cutting, and sewing surface treatments using joint compound, encaustic gesso and encaustic display options
Artist Bio
An award-winning artist, Helen Dannelly is a painter and sculptor who was educated in California and Minnesota. Skilled in a variety of media, she has worked in encaustic both two- and three-dimensionally which she enjoys because of its versatility.
Dannelly’s work has been shown at Slate Contemporary in Oakland, CA, Sanchez Art Center in Pacifica, CA, Conrad Wilde Gallery, in Tucson, AZ, Adam Peck Gallery and Julie Heller Gallery in Provincetown, MA, Truro Center for the Arts, Truro, MA, Kolman & Pryor Gallery in Minneapolis, MN, Phipps Center for the Arts in Hudson, WI, 33 Contemporary Gallery in Florida, Blue Moon Gallery, Mayslake and Peabody Estate, Christopher Art Gallery, ARC Gallery, CSI Project Space, Stola Contemporary Art, Zhou B Art Center, Bridgeport Art Center, Addington Gallery, and Alma Gallery in Chicago, IL. In 2023, a painting of Dannelly’s was selected to be included in the First International Biennial Exhibition at the Ballinglen Art Museum, County Mayo, Ireland.
Her encaustic sculptures were featured in Encaustic Art in the 21st Century, by E. Ashley Rooney and Anne Lee (Schiffer, 2016). She is the winner of sculpture awards at Phipps Center for the Arts (Juror: Erica Spitzer Rasmussen) and Sanchez Center for the Arts (Juror: William Theophilus Brown).
Dannelly is Curator at the Forshey Gallery in the Chicago Loop. Co-Founder of Catalyst Art Lab, she is originally from California, owns a home in Oakland, and currently lives in Chicago, although she hopes to return home soon!. She teaches classes in painting, encaustic sculpture and color theory both online and in-person at venues such as PaintSpace NOLA in New Orleans, the Hui No‘eau Visual Art Center on Maui, Bridgeport Art Center in Chicago and Madrone Arts in Pescadero, CA.
Helen will be offering a two-day workshop Encaustic Sculpture Workshop Pacific Grove, on February 14-15, the weekend following the NorCal Wax Retreat. To be first on the list for notifications when registration opens, email Helen.Dannelly@gmail.com with the subject line: Fosshape Workshop. She will also be teaching an “Encaustic Painting on Paper” workshop at the Ballinglen Arts Foundation in County Mayo, Ireland in July, 2027. Space is limited so register here: https://www.helendannellyart.com/ireland-encaustic-2027