Hello my artist family!

Every once in a while, I meet an artist whose story reminds me exactly why this community means so much — and that’s exactly how I felt reading Helen Hall’s journey. Helen joins us from Forsyth, and her story is such a beautiful reminder that creativity has a way of growing when it’s nurtured with encouragement, joy, and a little courage to simply try.

Helen has been part of Dabble Art since the early days, and I have to say… hearing that she felt like I was speaking directly to her through the videos absolutely touched my heart. She shared that my teaching style and personality gave her the confidence to truly invest in painting, and honestly, stories like that never stop amazing me.

What I especially love about Helen’s journey is how real and relatable it is. She openly shared that she may never think of herself as a “great painter,” but what she discovered is something even more important — that she can create. And that realization changed everything for her.

When Matt and I introduced DabblePaints™, Helen said that’s when painting became even more enjoyable because of how smooth and creamy the paints felt on the canvas. She described them as “smooth pudding” gliding across the surface, and honestly… now I can’t unsee it. Every time I open a jar of paint now, I’m probably going to want dessert.

But beyond the paints themselves, what truly shines through Helen’s story is the joy she feels when she steps back from a finished painting and realizes: “I did that.” That moment never gets old, does it? And I absolutely smiled when she talked about explaining to friends that she painted with palette knives instead of brushes just to see the surprise on their faces. There’s something so fun about introducing people to palette knife painting — it’s like watching them discover a magic trick in real time.

When I asked Helen what inspires her creativity most, her answer felt so full of warmth and life: summertime flowers blooming and sharing this artistic journey with her sister, who is also part of our wonderful artist family. Honestly, painting with family sounds like one of the sweetest kinds of summer memories you could make.

Helen also shared what she loves most about DabblePaints™:

“The thickness and how smooth and creamy they are.”

And if you’ve ever spread these paints across a canvas with a palette knife, you already know exactly what she means. That buttery texture makes painting feel joyful instead of intimidating — especially for beginners learning new techniques.

One of the things Helen enjoys most about painting is being able to look back and actually see her growth over time. The paintings she shared represent her artistic journey and how far she’s come since starting with Dabble Art. And let me tell you, there is something incredibly special about honoring your progress instead of chasing perfection.

When I asked Helen what advice she’d give someone just beginning their own painting journey, she kept it beautifully simple:

“Just TRY and when you realize that you CAN create a painting you'll want to continue.”

Whew… isn’t that the truth? So much of art begins with simply giving yourself permission to start. One painting leads to another, confidence slowly grows, and before you know it, creativity becomes part of who you are.

Helen, thank you for sharing your heart, your story, and your artistic journey with all of us. You are such a beautiful example of what happens when someone chooses courage over fear and joy over perfection. I know your story will encourage so many artists to pick up their palette knives and give themselves permission to create.

Keep creating, keep shining, and keep bringing more beauty into the world. 

XO,
Jen