BillLindau

From The Moore County Independent, Nov. 23, 2006
BILL LINDAU
SPECIAL TO THE INDEPENDENT
The Joy of Art Studio in Southern Pines conveys such a clear message. Joy Hellman is the name of the artist/instructor who owns the studio. Then there's the delight that comes from artistic self-expression, of falling under the spell of the creative process.
Hellman takes a lot of Joy (pun intended) in her work indeed. She says she wants her students of 4 years old and up through adults to experience the same joy that comes from creative self-expression.
In addition to the children's sessions, Hellman currently has two small adult groups that meet on certain evenings: Creative Connections and Artist's Way. She provides no instructions; participants work with any media they like, including collages and writing as well as oils, watercolor and pen and ink. They talk about their work, about any issues they might have that they could express in their art.
"Through art, through writing, through collage, through clay, through any type of media forms," she said.
Creative Connections meets Thursdays at the Joy of Art Studio, 7-9:30 p.m. Artist's Way meets on Friday evenings.
Art among the Creative Connections group is "a free-form thing," Hellman says. In both groups, Hellman teaches the artists "how to trust their own (creative) process.
She encourages her students, no matter how old they are, not to be so rigid, to use any media they like, all for the purpose of self-expression. She makes no hard and fast rules, and does not really give instruction to either of her adult groups, but makes suggestions instead.
She describes Creative Connections as a bit of a support group. "I'm not an art therapist," Hellman says, "but we do issues and it can be a support group."
"Art can be very therapeutic," she adds. "Art can be a catharsis."
In her classes, the children she instructs explore their own therapy as well.
There is no charge for either Creative Connection or Artist's Way, Hellman says.
Artist's Way is another group that's "not just a group where we talk, but also where we express ourselves. You might discover other media," Hellman says. Artist's Way takes its philosophy from a book titled, "The Artist's Way," bu Julia Cameron. "I've had frustrated artists who rediscover themselves and their work," Hellman said.
She likes this philosophy when it comes to art. "The most important things about artists: To grow, explore, experiment and always trust your own process," Hellman said. "I think it opens up a door that they've never been aware of before."
The Joy of Art Studio is located at 130 East Connecticut Ave. You can tell the store's open and Hellman's in when you see her scooter parked right outside the door. Going in, you see her paintings and other works all over the place, along with covered table where she does a great deal of her work, and some little angels.
She does not work with just one media. She likes to do oils, watercolors, polymers, pastels, clay, pen and ink. She does not adhere to any one style, such as Impressionism, Surrealism, Cubism etc. "I'm doing fibers right now. That may change."
She does not believe in imposing a great many rules in her programs.
"It's very, very, very free, it's a very free-form thing," she added. "It's like, people come here all the time -- 'Oh, well, I'm not an artist.' -- you know, they say that. But when they work with me, they discover that there's other aspects of art that's -- everybody's an artist. Picasso said that. He said, 'Everybody's an artist.' The problem is, that we forget that, you know.
"So, I really believe that art can be used -- I almost want to say therapeutically. In other words, it's a wonderful tool for getting in touch with feelings, getting in touch with thoughts you might have, maybe it's just right on the surface, that you need to explore or express yourself."
During the art sessions at her studio, she usually combines painting and collage. The students can also work subconsciously, via a certain type of collage or working with clay.
"We put together images from magazines (for the collage), and we don't think what we're doing," Hellman says. "It's more subconscious. It's like almost like your dreams have pictures, symbols. Well, we do a collage, and then we individually interpret it ourselves, because it's amazing how that process works, as long as you don't think about it."
"The same thing with clay," she says. "When I do clay, I tell the people, 'Take the clay. Play with the clay. Work with the clay. Close your eyes while you're doing it. Don't think about what you're doing. Open your eyes at the first shape. What does the shape say to you?' Go from there."
"It would be borderline therapy, therapeutic art, but I'm not an art therapist. I just use different techniques, like the art therapists do."
Some of her works she might sell, some are not for sale. She is more into teaching and showing others how to improve their artistic skills, to work with the creative process, than she is of becoming an artistic superstar.
Sometimes in her classes for younger students, the teacher becomes a student, Hellman says.
"I combine forms," she says. "I express different forms to the kids and I'll do that form myself. It's a constant tapping into your inner child...When I work with children, I find I learn about things, and I can create more things."
In her career in art instruction, she has worked with people with disabilities both emotional and physical, worked with seniors and abused women and children, she said.
Hellman comes from Minneapolis, where she says at one time she lived across the street from "Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keillor. She has lived and operated her studio in Southern Pines for the past four years, and lived in Sanford for 10 years before coming to this area.
Hellman spent eight years studying art, then decided to become a teacher. She has been teaching art for 14 years.
Her husband, Bob Schmidt, is a locally famous artist as well. An accomplished actor, he played the lead in the Sandhills Theatre Company's production of Ira Levin's "Deathtrap," and done his share of work as stage manager with other productions.
Hellman uses art for another purpose: Turning the students on to history.
"It's a great way of getting kids to learn things and have fun," Hellman says. "When I teach, I want them to enjoy what they do and learn something."
She says a painting can tell a lot about a culture and the time the artist created it.
"The paintings we see, we can tell something about the past, about how people live," Hellman said.
"It's a universal language. You can go into a museum and not know anything about the culture, but you can look at a painting and tell all sorts of things about it."
Hellman is more interested in teaching art, in helping people through the creative process, and not so interested in making a living solely on her paintings.
Some of her works, such as a painting of her muse, she will not sell, she says. The painting, which hangs in the studio, is an example of some mixed media. It includes a joint compounds, caulking, as well as real makeup for the eyes, Hellman says.
"I will will that painting, because it's special to me. It's priceless."
Hellman says she will do an occasional painting by commission. But making a living is a different story.
"With commercialism, it becomes too much of a product," Hellman says. "You do your painting to meet a market."
"I'd rather do art that comes from a different part of me and donate it to somebody," she added. "I admire artists that can make a living (selling their works), but I can't do that."