Various small cups of different colored liquids and dyes arranged on a dark table, with a pyrography machine on the left side.
White abstract spiral design with two curved lines extending upward, on a black background.

Fay Helfer

Mixed media visual artist originally from St.Martin, always inspired by nature and nonsense, never bored. Currently can be found in the San Francisco Bay Area, creating with pyrography and natural pigments.

Pyrography is also known as wood burning, and means ‘writing with fire’. It’s the art of marking wood or other materials with a heated point. 

Natural Pigments are colors sustainably sourced from nature, such as plants (indigo, beet, turmeric, saffron, berries), minerals (zinc, ochres, malachite, lapis), and animals (bone char, lac, cochineal). 

A pile of indigo powder with opuntia cactus liquid and a metal spatula
A pyrography wood burning machine with the label 'Razortip Pro' on a wooden surface. To the left, a small terracotta pot with a green plant and pebbles, and to the right, a metal container filled with wood burning tip pens.

PYROGRAPHY

NATURAL PIGMENTS

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Oak Gall
Fay Helfer Fay Helfer

Oak Gall

Found some oak galls on a walk in San Rafael…

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Timelapse

Here’s a little timelapse of ‘Kit Fox in the Desert’ being made.