An artist with an international profile will hold her debut exhibition on the Isle of Man this weekend.

The contemporary artist and painter Helen Hughes will open her display, entitled ’Colourway’ at the Isle Contemporary Gallery, Tynwald Mills, on Sunday, February 3, from 2pm.

It will feature a new series of bright and vibrant colourful creations, which she has painted over the past year

Helen describes her new work as ’a reintroduction to the texture and tones all around us.

’Some presented in familiar guise, others stretched by the imagination.

’It’s a stroll along the colour spectrum.’

After graduating from her degree course in Fine art and Education at St Mary’s University, Belfast, Helen has worked teaching art in Europe, and is a former head of art and design at an international school in Luxembourg.

Since leaving that post, she has worked full time as an artist, and has steadily built up an impressive online presence.

With more than 14,000 followers alone on her Instagram account and in the region of 300,000 followers on her Pinterest page, and having previously exhibited her works in shows, displays and art fairs across Europe in cities including Belfast, Luxembourg, London, Helen, who now lives in Douglas, now focuses her work on selling online across the world.

She also has an online profile on the Saatchi website.--

Last year alone Helen sold paintings to seven different countries, and has repeat collectors from as far away as America.

Kate Jerry, from Isle Contemporary, said that the gallery, is excited about hosting Helen’s first display on the island, and thinks that the show is a fitting display to launch the new name for the gallery.

’The exhibition marks the first exhibition of the newly named gallery ’Isle Contemporary, formerly known as the Isle Gallery’ said Kate.

’Helen is currently enjoying an international audience with sales across the world, we are delighted and thrilled to host her debut exhibition, since her move to the Isle of Man and bring attention to her expressive, desirable and collectable art work,’ said Kate.

’Helen’s works are layered, heavily influenced by midcentury block colour, mixed with expressionist and impressionist styles.

’Her gestural abstracts are an exploration of colour and are inspired by nature, poetry, landscapes, music, science and behaviours.’

More information on ’Colourway’, which is open until Sunday, March 17, is available from islecomtemporary.com