Exhibitions

The Courtyard, Hereford

5th - 28th March 2026

I was delighted to be a part of the Herefordshire Arts and Crafts Society (HACS) exhibition at The Courtyard this year.

My original watercolour Slippery Squid was on display; the first public viewing of my artwork, as part of ‘Wild Hearts, Gentle Stories’ at The Courtyard.

The painting was created for my upcoming children’s book Albatross and the Rubbish, which tells the story of a hungry Laysan albatross who mistakes floating plastic for food. Through gentle storytelling, the book introduces young readers to the challenges facing our oceans and the small choices we can make to help protect them.

This original watercolour became the foundation for the book’s final double-page illustration.

The Story Behind the Painting

When I painted Slippery Squid and all the other accompanying artworks in Albatross’s story, the intention was to tell a difficult story gently.

In Albatross and the Rubbish, a hungry Laysan albatross drifts across the endless blue, playing its favourite game — I Spy Something to Eat. Below, bright shapes shimmer on the ocean’s surface, tempting and deceptive. But not everything that glitters in the sea is food.

Stories can help children care for the world around them — not through fear, but through empathy, curiosity and hope. I think children understand more than we sometimes imagine; by introducing conservation at a young age, we give children the opportunity to learn about and truly connect with the natural world.

‘For the albatross, and for the children who will decide what floats in tomorrow’s seas’, Helene Gardiner