A CONONLEY artist is taking part in the first online exhibition from North Yorkshire organisation Art Connections.

Winterlude, which runs until January 11, features more than 30 contemporary artists and craftspeople including Helen Slinger.

The high quality works, gathered by a professional curator, are available exclusively from each artists’ studio and will be posted to customers’ doors.

Helen creates framed textile pieces, as well as a range of smaller items including printed and stitched greeting cards, covered books and zipped cases.

She has carried out much of her work in constructed textiles, in particular costume and display work where detail and colour were always of prime consideration.

She worked as a seamstress and pattern cutter for a costume hire company making historical costumes, followed by a period making up samples and costumes for Christmas and other seasonal displays.

Helen had always had a passion for textiles, making clothes for her children when they were smaller.

A City & Guilds qualification in Fashion at Harrogate was followed by work in dressmaking and a fabric shop.

Evening classes introduced Helen to the fine-art side of textiles, and she went on to complete an HNC in Textiles at Craven College in 2006,

A teaching qualification led to employment in further education at Craven College as a part-time tutor teaching dressmaking and pattern cutting to mature students.

In recent years she been working on textile art at home, exhibiting locally, and each year taking part in North Yorkshire Open Studios.

Helen also exhibits with textile art group flaX showing work at such venues as East Riddlesden Hall and Fountains Abbey.

Helen says she takes inspiration from patterns in the landscape, such as the outline of a tree in winter, or plants in the hedgerows. Other work draws on heritage, such as mills and other historic buildings.

Grace Whowell, curator for the Winterlude exhibition, said there were paintings, prints and sculptures, precious jewellery, distinctive ceramics, glass, hand-crafted textiles and wood by over 30 artists.

She said: “The work is diverse in its subject matter and creation. Each artist has a story to tell but it is evident that they are inspired by this amazing place, Yorkshire, in which they live and work.

“Winterlude ensures secure and easy payment methods and safe delivery of all artwork.

“Most of the items for sale have been created exclusively; many are one-offs or very limited editions.”

Visit art-connections.org.uk/winterlude to see the work by Helen and other artists.