Helen Fay
Degree: M.A. Natural History Illustration
University: Royal College of Art
New Blood Art Commentary
Helen Fay’s drawings are consummate examples of the possibilities of etching and of the etching process. The metal etching plate is the ground on which Fay employs a series of marks, gestures and techniques that activate the image. Thinly etched lines morph into the more heavily aquatinted shaded surface. The almost photographic quality of the etchings enables the images to teeter between tradition and the present. Bibby Hobby, an image of a dog at rest, is a case in point. The source of the image is unclear, but it could easily be derived from a phone camera. The dog faces into the distance, aware of the viewer but never making eyes, while the subtle colouration of the throw adds warmth and interest to the image.
Artist Statement
“My work combines my two main interests, drawing and animals. Both the activity of drawing and the subject I study are a source of never ending fascination and have been for as long as I can remember. I have focused on various aspects of animal life over the years, primates, birds, curious creatures such as echidnas and tree kangaroos. Currently I am engaged in an exploration of the canine world, partly because of the sheer beauty of so many dogs but also because of their presence and dignity.
Artistically, my impetus comes from creating a balance between a solid mass and the space in which it sits. Using drawing and the exploration of form to add depth to the composition. I find printmaking, especially etching to be the media I can best translate my drawing into a solid and dramatic image. I enjoy working with and into a material such as steel or copper, etching lines and tones then working directly to scrape areas back or scratch areas to make them darker. It is a surface that one draws in as well as on. I hope this three dimensionality in the making of my prints is visible in the finished print."