When Londoner Helli Luck picked up her first paintbrush at 5 years old, she knew that she wanted to be an artist - and that dream carried her through to making it a reality. Winning her first award at 12 years old, she went on to have her work displayed at the Pall Mall Gallery (next to Buckingham Palace.) The exhibition was then sent around Europe to different art galleries. After studying at Saint Martins in London, Luck went on to work as an art director with Saatchi and Saatchi, a job that she was deeply passionate about. “Luckily, it took me all over the work, giving me a unique opportunity to travel and see new cultures and artistic expression. It was so inspiring,” she says.Drawn to her subjects by the light, Luck’s travels have provided her with a range of captivating subjects, inspiring her to paint her surroundings and capture the passage of light through a scene and evoking the feeling it created in the moment, “I normally go to the location, make some small sketches and color notes, take some photos, and bring all of it back to my studio to do a larger piece,” says Luck of her process. “I love to try and capture an impression, leaving room for the viewer to get involved and feel the emotion. I am striving to stay loose but have poetic brushstrokes. It’s a constant journey of discovery, and I think trying to improve and express my ideas is part of the joy of painting. It’s also what makes it such a challenge.”A lover of oils, luck is drawn to the rich texture of the medium, starting with a loose, think sketch that resembles watercolor before building up to thicker paint. Now living in Pawleys Island, she paints the local scenery and wildlife and loves waiting for the sun to rise to catch the first light of the morning