Tracey Hayden and the problem with graphite
As Tracey is the owner of the gallery and the artist in residence - I thought I would write a bit about her.
I sometimes look after the gallery when Tracey and Anna need a day off and I really enjoy listening to people discussing Tracey’s art. What is it made of? Is it metal? Well, apart from the stainless steel pieces Traceys pieces are made of paper covered in graphite or wood veneer covered in graphite which does give it a fantastic metallic sheen.
“I like to push graphite to its furthest potential, to see what can be achieved with a simple 9B pencil. I do not only work on a flat piece of paper as I did in the beginning I now use pencil and other materials to push their boundaries. I simply love using my hands as a tool, just me and the pencil connects me to myself and my work. A paint brush would only distract and get in the way of this process and I'd lose the connection, the physical touch, that's why I choose the pencil, I love the simple purity it provides and the results are so beautiful”.
The only problem with such a hands on approach with graphite is that Tracey often turns up with her hands, elbows and often face covered in her favoured medium.
BW