
Helen Sparling
Semester of Mini-grant
Year of Mini-grant
2025
Disciplines(s)
Grant Description
I am a painting major. I am currently in a painting independent study in order to expand on the work I completed last semester. This body of work is based on photographs I have taken, and is characterized by loose washes of color and undisguised brushstrokes. As I continue this body of work during the Spring semester, I plan to further develop a mode of painting that captures the atmosphere and emotion of people and the spaces they occupy.
Original Proposal
sparlinghelen_amg_s2025_proposal.pdf
(167.38 KB)
Proposal Outcome
sparlinghelen_amg_s2025_outcome.pdf
(2.56 MB)
Title
Exploring daily life through oil painting
Helen is a Studio Art and Psychology major in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Virginia. Helen has loved the arts since childhood. She finds great joy in teaching herself new creative skills such as piano, guitar, knitting, crochet, sewing, drawing, painting, and more. During high school, Helen’s love for art gradually shifted from a personal hobby to something she wanted to pursue in college and beyond. If she had to choose, her medium of choice would be oil painting, but she loves to experiment with other media. In her free time, Helen loves to go on sunrise hikes, drink black tea while reading a good book, upcycle clothes, and spend time with her friends and family.
2026