Balmasque by Roy Fairchild.
Roy Fairchild-Woodward was born in surrey in 1953. He has been known as both Woodard and Fairchild during his career; Fairchild, his family name, is used when producing his own, personal artwork. Fairchild began his artistic path, however, by training as a technical illustrator after leaving school at 16.
After his training, fairchild started his career in advertising; his ability to create photo-realistic images using airbrush technology allowed him to continue practising art and developing his skills. While creating his artwork with a more commercial intention, Fairchild operated under the name Woodard. He found considerable success in this career, lasting throughout the 1970s.
Eventually, Fairchild was able to move into a full-time career of painting and printmaking, allowing him to develop the artistic styles for which he is now known.
Much of Fairchild’s work holds a certain amount of narrative, although the story within the piece is not always obvious. The careful choice of ornamentation, and the strong central concepts of each piece, result in a partially concealed story that the viewer is left to interpret themselves.