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Helen Lucas
Born
Helen Geatros

(1931-08-25)25 August 1931
Weyburn, Saskatchewan, Canada
Died 27 November 2023(2023-11-27) (aged 92)
Education Ontario College of Art

Helen Lucas (born Geatros; August 25, 1931 – November 27, 2023) was a talented Canadian artist. She was well-known for her beautiful paintings. Her art often featured Greek Orthodox icons and bright, colorful flowers. Helen Lucas's career as an artist lasted for more than sixty years.

Helen Lucas's Early Life

Helen Lucas grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. She was the oldest daughter in her family. Her parents had moved to Canada from Greece. When Helen was just six weeks old, her family moved to Saskatchewan. They worked hard to run the Ritz Hotel.

Her family was very busy building a new life. Because of this, they didn't really encourage her to do art at first. Helen learned good manners from her family's traditional religious practices. After high school, she studied pre-medicine for a year. This means she studied subjects that would help her become a doctor.

Then, she moved to Toronto to study at the Ontario College of Art. This is where she truly started to paint. Her parents were very supportive of her art studies. They even helped her pay for college. Helen had her first art show, and it received some good reviews. However, she was advised by the Greek Church to focus more on her religious studies.

Helen Lucas's Artistic Journey

"I will always be drawn to the beauty and the courage of the flower. I am captivated by it. Flowers, more than anything else, are so life enforcing. I have come to truly believe in the healing powers of flowers and their colors in our lives and in our surroundings. I hope each of my paintings will be a continual reminder of the positive qualities that each flower represents."

From 1973 to 1979, Helen Lucas taught at Sheridan College in Oakville, Ontario. She was a Drawing and Painting Master there. During this time, she created a series of black and white artworks. These pieces often explored important social issues. She also worked with Shelagh Wilkinson, who helped start Canadian Woman Studies.

Helen Lucas is most famous for her large paintings of colorful flowers. But her earlier artworks, like sketches and paintings, focused on icons from the Greek Orthodox Church and the Virgin Mary. Her art during this early period sometimes had a darker feel. This reflected her deep religious faith and the challenges of living away from her family. It also showed some unhappiness she felt during her first marriage. Helen explained that she "had no feeling for colour" during this time.

A film called Helen Lucas: Her Journey -- Our Journey showed how her art changed. This film, made by Donna Davey, won an award at the Chicago International Film Festival. The film also included an interview with her friend, Margaret Laurence. Margaret Laurence was a famous writer. Helen Lucas's drawings were even included in Laurence's book, A Christmas Birthday Story (1980). Margaret Laurence described Helen's drawings as "joyous, beautiful and wise."

Helen Lucas didn't just paint. She also gave talks about women in the arts. She appeared on radio and television from the 1970s to the 1990s. Her art has been shown in many places around the world. This includes Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, and Japan. Many of her artworks are now part of public and private collections. She also published drawings and writings in newspapers, magazines, and journals. Helen was very active in projects related to Canadian women's studies.

Helen Lucas lived in King Township, Ontario. She lived there with her second husband, Derek Fuller, until he passed away in 1996. Helen Lucas passed away on November 27, 2023, when she was 92 years old.

Awards and Special Honors

Helen Lucas received several important awards. In 2012, she was given the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. This medal honors Canadians who have made significant contributions. She also received an Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from York University in 1991. This is a special award given to people who have achieved great things.

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