Exhibition
This exhibition is about the joy of being outdoors in water. It’s about swimming and playing, spending time in and exploring our wild waterways. North Northumberland has so many rivers, lakes and beaches where generations of people have played and swam. I wanted to show my appreciation of these places and make images to describe the feeling of liberation swimming outdoors brings.
Although I swim year-round it’s when summer arrives that swimming takes over. I love the thrill of a frosty swim but relaxed days and long summer evenings, leisurely swimming and feeling completely immersed in the environment are the highlight of the year. When going at a leisurely, summer river pace I notice more, the plants and animals, smell of the river and feel of the wind and sun .
There are real and important issues around water, pollution and water scarcity are rightly and currently in the news. These are important issues; we can’t live without clean water. Waterways intends to celebrate and highlight what a precious thing our wild waterways are.
A donation of 5% from all picture sales will be donated to the Northumberland Rivers Trust.
Artist Bio
I am an artist and printmaker with a lifelong interest in the natural world. After gaining a BA in Printmaking I studied Natural History Illustration at the Royal College of Art. I have been fortunate enough to draw in the cloud forests of Ecuador, the deserts of Rajasthan as well as drawing in Europe and the UK mainly animals both wild and domestic.
I worked for many years in Glasgow Print Studio, a wonderful artists’ organisation which enabled me to develop my professional practice. Currently I work at my home studio which I have set up to make and print etchings and woodcuts. I have and continue to exhibit in the UK and abroad in galleries and art fairs and regularly in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.
Drawing, printmaking and the natural world continue to be the things that drive me. After what seems a lifetime, I have not even scratched the surface.
www.helenfay.co.uk
