Wall art by Helene Boutanos

from PARIS, France

Find out more about Helene Boutanos

Hélène, where are you from and where do you live now?

I'm from the North of France, and I live in Paris now, in the Montmartre area.
How would you describe your artistic style?

My style is inspired by the Naturalist mouvement, I like to create images like french paintings from the 19th century.
What's on top of your bucket list (as an artist or just as a person)?

Working enough to be my own boss and be free forever.
Vector or watercolor

I started out with analogue, now I'm more about digital, but I tend to go back to my first love :)
New York or remote mountain hut?

Remote mountain hut, definitely.
Becks or Merlot?

Merlot, Merlot, and Merlot ;)
And a little Proust: What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Simple pleasures: A cup of coffee, a sofa, a book, a beautiful view, time ahead. As we say in French, to be present in the moment.
Which living person do you most admire?

In general: people who are not afraid to be alone.
What do you consider the most overrated virtue?

I don't know if it's a virtue, but I like the notion of "being impeccable with your words" (for yourself and for others) from the book "Four Agreement", by Don Miguel Ruiz.
What or who is the greatest love of your life?

I guess I could answer that question in 50 years :)
If you were to die and come back as a person or a thing, what would it be?

I spent my childhood dreaming of being someone else: more beautiful, stronger, more intelligent, more popular. Now that I've made peace with myself, I wouldn't trade for being anyone else.
The world needs more...

empathy.
I’ve changed my mind about…

what I can endure for love.
What most people don't understand is that…

happiness is a full-time job.

For each art print you buy, Helene Boutanos and Photocircle plant trees in Ethiopia.

Since the beginning of 2021 we have been able to plant 407.026 trees in Ethiopia so far - these trees are estimated to absorb 32.562.080 kg CO₂ within the next five years