Life in Forms: Expanded Edition: Complete Small Works 2008-2015 (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9781517266233)

Since 2008, self-taught artist Eli Helman (b. 1978) has spent thousands of hours meticulously crafting highly detailed pen and ink drawings. Having no formal art training, his unique style evolved from simple pencil doodles of abstract shapes and patterns into complex, thematically diverse fine art illustrations. He considers his style to be Maximalism - a term used in many forms of art that can be marked by, but not limited to, the juxtaposition of varying styles, a process oriented approach and an obsessive attention to detail. Leaving virtually no space untouched, many of his large pieces take over 100 hours each to complete. Helman grew up in Framingham, Massachusetts before moving to Washington, DC to attend college at American University. Shortly thereafter, he moved to Tucson, Arizona to pursue a musical collaboration. The result was a self-produced album of experimental electro-acoustic music inspired by his travels throughout the western United States. While in Arizona, he created his first series of pencil drawings in a 4" x 6" journal. These pieces, though primitive and unrefined, were the seeds of his style that would emerge years later. Upon returning to the east coast in 2006, he recorded two solo albums while living in Deer Isle, Maine. Two years later he began drawing more seriously, this time switching from pencil to Micron pens. He has been a full time artist since 2009, showing his work in galleries and art festivals around the country. He lives in Western Massachusetts.