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Turning goopy paper pulp and bits of wire into dainty dancers and gymnasts.

I'm Helen Dale - bit of a nomad but after years of admin jobs around the country, finally found my way back to the creative life I had as a child. Balance Point Sculpture came from the realisation that happiness is making things. My art shelves are crammed with the glorious colours of acrylic paint, inks, soft pastels, watercolour pencils, hand made papers, metal leaf and paint pads and canvases are stacked in a corner waiting for the next idea to try. I have an assortment of old hand tools picked up from random market stalls when I need to clamp, drill or saw stuff and happily re-use wire from odd places such as broken umbrellas and skewers.

My main thing is sculpting dancers, gymnasts & circus acrobats from recycled egg boxes; they're built around a wire armature, decorated with hand made paper, acrylics or inks and mounted on wooden bases. Each piece is unique (any time I've tried to copy one it turns out different) and takes an average of 15-25 hours work depending on the size and whether the final decoration works at the first go. Petite and colourful, they show off beautiful lines, flexibility and elegance - all the things I love to see and remember from the old Soviet school of gymnastics - the 70s and 80s being my favourite era.

With no studio or kiln I started out with polymer clay then tried plaster then paper mache. I got better at making sturdy armatures that could hold extreme shapes and gradually developed my style and skill. The paper pulp I use now ticks all the boxes for ease of use, strength and lightness, since it goes on in layers and gets compressed so much. I use a textile hardener (very versatile stuff) as a final coat to protect everything. I don't really use references since I have a catalogue of images in my head but I'll look for a photo if I need to get a limb looking right from a particular angle. Years of drawing dancers, training in and coaching gymnastics has given me a feel for how everything should be placed.

I want to make beautiful, affordable sculpture for fans and performers alike and you'll see figures from rhythmic and artistic gymnastics plus various dance styles appearing here. Acro gymnastics is now also represented - watch out for pairs and trios appearing!

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