Art at Mountain View

Helen Yousaf is a mother of two teenage daughters and wife to Shakeel who has been her husband for 25 years (since they met on the mission-field in Pakistan in 1994). Helen enjoys being a creative worshipper who travels as an itinerant minister across various different expressions of Christianity in and around Europe. Helen has a heart-and-mind connection with Open Doors and has been concerned, invested and intentional about recognising the plight of those persecuted because of their religious beliefs around the World since her childhood when a representative of Christian Solidarity Worldwide visited her school. Helen firmly believes the most powerful, incense-fused and demonstrative worship comes from those who are able to offer their worship despite the dangers and confines of persecution.

Helen’s use of gold leaf as a back drop to many of those of her pictures which refer to the persecuted church, is in reference to God’s overwhelming presence and peace amidst the chaos and pain of such valleys. Even now, whilst Christians link arms to cradle and care for the misplaced and disenfranchised of Afghanistan, Helen intends to paint that gold into every picture and proclaim Hope to the hopeless. She explains that Artists and Creatives are coming into their own in this season as they pour out their prayers, praise and empathy on an epic scale. It is her conviction that those who might rarely step up to a pulpit in a church are now resourcing the World with treasure many will miss - but on occasion one soul will stop, look and listen to what the Spirit is saying to them. It is Helen’s prayer that each picture she paints speaks strongly and directly to the one that it was meant for.

No matter how bleak the World becomes, Helen intends to continue to invest in gold paint because Gods glory still covers the earth - and so will her gold paint cover the canvas!

To view more of Helen’s work or to contact her directly please click here.