Helen Steele’s compositions are spontaneous, yet certain themes recurr throughout her work—most notably the use of the human figure to explore psychological states such as harmony, serenity, anxiety, and isolation. While the figure often serves as her point of departure, it is never the true subject of her art. Instead, she sought to convey the tension between human presence and absence.

Her approach was deeply intuitive, favoring suggestion over detail. As she worked and reworked each canvas, images would emerge only to recede again, later resurfacing in new forms. Her layered process involved the continual burial and revelation of imagery—paint wiped away, words obscured, surfaces peeled back—each action revealing the evolving composition beneath.