Heleen Cornet is a Saba artist and resident of 36 years.
SABA--Tuesday, February 22, sees the grand opening of an exhibition of new rainforest paintings by renowned artist and Saba resident of 36 years, Heleen Cornet. The collection is entitled “Finding Heleen” and, unsurprisingly, comprises 22 paintings.
Having spent endless days and nights camping out in the rainforest, sketching studies, taking photographs and noting the constantly changing light and patterns created the idea of displaying these new works in their natural environment, which became an increasingly exciting prospect for Cornet and so the idea emerged of opening this exhibition in one of Saba’s most accessible areas of rainforest. Therefore, on Tuesday afternoon only, this collection of paintings will be hung on trees bordering the trail between the Trail Shop and the Gazebo in Windwardside.
The exhibition’s grand opening will take place at the Trail Shop. The show will be opened by Cornet’s husband Tom van’t Hof at 4:00pm.
Any paintings that remain unsold after this opening day will be on exhibition and available for purchase at Five Square Art Gallery from Friday, February 25.
Three of the 22 new rainforest paintings.
Not only is this Cornet’s most comprehensive exhibition ever of large rainforest paintings, but it is also likely to be her last. Progressive cataract issues have led her to take the extremely difficult decision to cease painting large canvases whilst she is still at the top of her game.
Cornet has been at the top of her game for many years. She arrived in Saba with her husband and two children in 1986, with a master’s degree in Fine Arts. After three years teaching art at Saba Comprehensive School, she became a full-time artist, opening her own gallery and publishing several books in partnership with her husband.
She initially only worked in watercolour on paper until she found that the paper was “getting too small.” A switch to canvas and oils necessitated studies in this medium in the Dutch capital Amsterdam with well-known artist Rik Lina.
In the years since, Cornet has switched between oils and watercolours and has also produced many mixed media pieces and incorporated gold and copper leaf to capture the luminosity of the rainforest due to the intense humidity.
She is also the inspiration for a group of talented Saba artists, who meet and paint every Saturday, and she painted a large mural at the Catholic Church in The Bottom, in which she combined rainforest scenes with religious symbols.
Cornet has exhibited in the Caribbean, Brazil, the United States and Curaçao and has had many exhibitions throughout her native Netherlands.
