Roy Fairchild - 1953 - England

Anna

Longing

Sound of Moon

The Sun will Shine Tommorrow

ROY FAIRCHILD - WOODARD

BORN 1953 – SURREY, ENGLAND

Roy Fairchild was born in Surrey, England in 1953 and studied at West Surrey College before taking a graphics degree in London.

He lives and works most of the year in his country home in Grayshot. This peaceful rural environment is fundamental to his well being and stability as an artist, although he travels through Europe to obtain new sources of inspiration and to find new images.

After leaving school at age 16 to train as a technical illustrator, he then took a degree in graphic design. Having completed his education he set up his own studio. He soon found that it was difficult to make a living from his own work and supported himself and his family for several years by producing, under the name Woodard, illustrations for record sleeves, advertisements and books, as well as decorative serigraphs and lithographs. He achieved considerable popularity with his suites of pastel coloured figurative prints. Experimenting with different techniques he developed entirely new methods of achieving effects in serigraphy to obtain qualities of light and colour that are now in general use.

He eventually gained sufficient financial security to be able to give up his commercial illustrations and return full time to his own painting and printmaking, which he does under his family name, Fairchild.

He has been much influenced by the textural qualities of Persian art, particularly the intricate pattern work of oriental rugs and tapestries. The crumbling plasterwork of Italian Fresco painting has also suggested subtleties of texture and tone, which Fairchild has brought to his own rich surfaces, actually using plaster as a base for acrylic and oil overpainting.

In his figurative work Egon Schiele and Gustav Klimt are the predominant influences and whilst there are undoubted references to line and decoration, Fairchild adds a contemporary quality which is altogether fresher and bolder in colour and more aggressive in approach. The mildly suggestive and erotic flamboyance is achieved without the candor of Schiele and Klimt.

Fairchild’s surfaces are rich and sumptuous, and he uses many mixed media in their attainment. His compositions are vigorous and brilliantly inventive, making use of many varied interwoven elements like fabric, flowers and the human form.

As a printmaker Fairchild has found greatest expression in silkscreening, where the rigorous design and rich opaque colouring of his work is furthered by the medium. Many of his works can truly be described as limited edition mixed media; such is his fervor to make each image as memorable as possible.

Roy Fairchild-Woodard is one of today’s leading artists. His work has earned him an international reputation and is sought after by collectors throughout the world. Such is the collectability of Roy Fairchild’s work with each new edition being 75% sold out prior to publication.