by Helen/Hj Bullard

When Hj met the Riverview gardeners, much of the conversation centered around the vegetables being grown and the broader landscape of the space. These ideas resonated with Hj, who grew up in a rural part of England surrounded by countryside, woodlands and rivers. A desire to express the beauty of plants and animals creatively initially drew Hj into painting and becoming an artist.
Their garden bench incorporates wildlife routinely seen at Riverview, including birds, a squirrel, flowers and trees. Several native species of birds are presented in beautiful detail: the gold finch, cardinal, blue jay, robin, woodpecker and hummingbird.
Most of Hj’s professional practice centers on storytelling rather than a specific medium. Constantly learning new skills to match the subject at hand is key to their craft. Their work focuses on the environment, animals, and increasingly on human interaction with systems — such as ecosystems, industry and medicine. Interested in change and evolution, how seasons move, time moves, and deep time also allows Hj to reflect their experiences as a queer person, bringing identity as an artist and a queer person together.
Helen/Hj Bullard is an instructor at the Milwaukee Institute of Art & Design (MIAD), teaching Service Learning, Research, Process and Connection with a focus on involving students in the community.
In addition to teaching, Hj is currently working on several projects with different groups involving queer community, environmental history, and combining both in queer ecology.
