Biography

Helen Dougall studied fine art in the early 60’s in London, first at the Polytechnic in Regent Street, and then at Chelsea School of Art. Later she trained as an art teacher at the Institute of Education, University of London. While teaching in London secondary schools she continued with her own work, experimenting with printmaking and batik on textiles. Helen moved to Suffolk with her family in 1975, where the large open landscape fired her enthusiasm for painting, drawing and producing batik textiles. In the 80’s she attended one of Noel Dyrenforth’s batik courses.

Throughout the 80’s and 90’s, Helen taught art and design at Suffolk College in Ipswich, until she left in 1997 to continue with her own work. She now runs occasional batik courses in her studio.

Since then, she has taken part in numerous exhibitions, including “Suffolk Open Studios”. In the year 2000 Helen worked with primary school children on a large batik wall‑hanging to commemorate the Millennium, a project funded by the National Lottery. Helen is a member of the Suffolk Craft Society,  the Batik Guild  and  Artworks.

Exhibitions

1999	Solo exhibition, Aldeburgh Poetry Festival.
2006‑7	Batik Transitions. The Batik Guild, Touring exhibition
2010	The Batik Guild, Harleston Gallery. Suffolk Showcase, Bury St. Edmunds Art Gallery
2011	The Batik Guild’s 25th Anniversary National Exhibition, The Lillie Art Gallery, Glasgow
2012	Sea Pictures Gallery, Clare, Suffolk
2013	Retrospective solo exhibition, Edmund Gallery, Bury St. Edmunds
2014	The Naze Tower Gallery, Walton on the Naze, Essex
2015	Shared exhibition with ceramicist, Rob Wheeler, Edmund Gallery, Bury St Edmunds
Each year	Artworks, Blackthorpe Barn, Rougham, Bury St. Edmunds
Each year	Suffolk Craft Society Summer exhibition, Peter Pears Gallery, Aldeburgh.
Continuously	Gallery 2, Suffolk Craft Society, Ipswich Town Hall.