Lucy Boydell Biography

LUCY BOYDELL – FINE ARTIST

Working from her base on the picturesque North Norfolk coast in the East of England, Lucy produces large scale drawings in charcoal and chalk of the animals she photographs herself out in the wild, in the farmyard and within zoological collections around the UK. Favoured subjects include the mighty red stags she photographs on the historic estates of Norfolk, also the wild brown hare, a magical creature frequently spotted dashing from field to pasture on the farmlands of the county.

By invitation Lucy has also worked throughout the UK on commission requests – dogs, cats, horses and even the occasional pangolin have been in focus.

Returning to her studio, and with her photographic records, Lucy sets about creating life size, or even larger, drawings using only a stick of charcoal, chalk and a cut eraser, the upscale results speak for themselves. The finished pieces command attention for they have great presence, an arresting quality reminiscent of a chance moment when face to face with nature.  ‘I’m basically trying to convey, through translation into the medium of charcoal and chalk, and on a large scale, the second you spot a thing of beauty, in all it’s finery  ….”Wow…Look!!!” The attitude, the detailed texture, the thrill of the encounter, the sheer beauty of it”.

Lucy is drawn to depicting fur, feather, fin and scales thus her repertoire in this medium is as extensive and varied as the textures offered up by the animal kingdom. Conveying the tonal spectrum in monotone is something that occurs quite naturally to her. She also is taken up with capturing the notion of breath – the nostrils glistening, the eyes focusing – an animal mid move, as it catches sight of her, before it moves away… an exchange, a moment of being seen – evaluation of mutual glances.

Graduating with a fine art degree from Central St Martins School of Art in 1995, Lucy has been exhibiting her original work in well established UK and European galleries as well as numerous London Art Fairs. Her pieces feature in private and corporate collections in UK and internationally

Influences and heroes include George Stubbs, Albrecht Dürer, Elizabeth Frink, Dégas, Paula Rego, Nicola Hicks and the photographer Tim Walker.

“No one gets the softness of fur like Lucy. Or the hardness of pangolin scales. Or the whiteness of white, which, considering her medium is essentially black, is nothing short of miraculous”.
– Lizzie Riches, painter.