exhibitions & events 2017

Helen Fay

"For many years my work has been about the beauty, dignity and character of animals. The poise and movement of animals, their behaviour and nature is an area I find endlessly fascinating. I like to think of them observing the world as I am observing them and then try to deduce what it is that they rely on to navigate their way through life. Whether it is the curiosity of a primate or the heightened senses of a hound, each and every creature has unique adaptations and behaviours, skills and strengths and these are what I try to convey in my work.

Currently I am focusing on how animals are intertwined with our domestic and family life. I want to capture moments such as a dog flopped on a chair after a long walk or watching the world whilst their owner stops for a coffee or a lazy old cat sunning itself, content in it's old age.

I still strive to pare my images down to a balanced simplicity that directs attention to the subject. Light is hugely important to the way I draw and recently, as I have started including backgrounds in my work it has become more of a consideration. My aim is to recreate a minute that could be in any time but feels recognisable and familiar."

Helen Fay has been working as a full time artist printmaker since graduating from The Royal College of Art, London (1990-1992) with an MA in Natural History Illustration.  Fay lives and works in Northumbria.

Image: 'At Home', etching, image size 36.5 x 53.5, paper size 50 x 65.5 cm. 'Sinbad', etching, image size 16.5 x 12.5cm, paper size 31 x 25 cm.