Art is not what you see, but what you make others see. — Edgar Degas  

Helen Munnelly is a fine artist and illustrator. She was born and raised in Philadelphia and currently lives and works in the Philadelphia suburbs. She studied graphic design and illustration at Hussian School of Art which gave her an appreciation for commercial arts. Her favorite illustration professor introduced Helen to the works of Howard Pyle and N.C. Wyeth. Helen not only loved their dynamic illustrations but also that these famous illustrators were from areas near Philadelphia. While Helen was a student at Hussian School of Art, she also worked as a creative intern at an advertising agency in Philadelphia. Then she worked in graphic design for an agency in Philadelphia and later as a receptionist/administrative assistant. After raising her daughter, Helen returned to school attending Montgomery County Community College where she earned an associate's degree in fine art in 2019. Next continuing her education, she attended Temple University at Tyler School of Art and Architecture where she earned a bachelor's in fine arts degree in painting in 2021. 

Helen is a representational oil painter and watercolor painter. She also paints and draws with other mediums including acrylic paint, pen and ink, pencil, and pastel. Landscapes and wildlife are the main subjects she paints and draws. Her style of painting is inspired by Impressionism. Helen studied the works of Monet, Renoir, Vincent Van Gogh, Matisse, and many other artists to become freer with her use of color and brushstrokes. She uses a combination of painting from direct observation and photographs. Her process begins by painting with a large flat brush, placing colors all around the paper or canvas to achieve balance and continuity throughout the piece. She then focuses on the details with smaller brushes. Helen often uses non-naturalistic colors as she feels it adds excitement to her work. Her inspiration stems from nature. The textures, colors, shapes, and variety of forms in nature intrigue Helen. Her newest interest is plein-air painting in her local parks where she enjoys capturing nature’s beauty. Using the photo references that she takes on location, Helen then finishes her paintings in her studio. She recently joined a plein air painting group at Kuerner Farm which is where Andrew Wyeth painted many of his paintings. Helen enjoys photographing her local wildlife that she sees in her backyard and on her nature hikes in the local parks. She then uses her photo references to paint and draw the wildlife she encounters. 

In 2023, her collage/assemblage of a fish titled, “Fishing for Trash Free Waters,” won first place in the Trash Free Waters Art Contest organized by the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary. This collage/assemblage was created using cut up pieces of aluminum cans, plastic caps, and other pieces of trash. The Fairmount Water Works and Interpretive Center held a group exhibition from January 31 to April 5, 2024, which included this piece and other entries in the Trash Free Waters Art Contest. The Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, the EPA and the Philadelphia Water Company turned Helen’s collage/assemblage artwork into advertisements to help share the message of keeping our waterways trash free. The advertisements were placed on eight Septa digital bus screens and eleven digital screens at Patco stations around Philadelphia for the month of April in 2024.  

In addition to fine art, Helen updated her illustration and graphic design skills at Montgomery County Community College and Temple University at Tyler School of Art and Architecture. She has knowledge and experience with Adobe Creative Suites: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Helen is also an amateur photographer who enjoys taking pictures of her pets, landscapes, nature, and wildlife. Once a week she volunteers at the Aark Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education Center where she feeds and cares for orphaned and injured wildlife. She enjoys the up-close interaction with the animals as it gives her time to observe their actions and behaviors. She finds that firsthand observation is beneficial for accuracy in drawing animals.