I discovered Fay Helfer via one of my favorite blogs, Street Anatomy. Pyrography – the practice of wood burning – is a long time camp favorite. I remember trying it a few years ago and had results that were mediocre at best (and I broke the tip of the tool - sorry, Ken!). Fay Helfer combines elegant pyrography with colored pencil and pastel on wood to create organic and anatomical images.
The work I was initially drawn to is the Hearts series. The veins in heart and the wood are echoed in branches and roots. The organs become fertile soil.
Driftwood Heart 03 and Clover Heart
Seedling Heart and Sea Fan Heart
Asparagus Heart by Fay Helfer
Her Snail series is beautiful - gravity defying piles of quirky snails with colorful shells and rainbow trails...
Snail Pile 02 and Snail Pile 06
Snail Back Ride
... but it's these two ladies with snail hair make me smile the most.
Snail DO
Snail Do Lady