Richard Audet –Printmaker – Watercolor Painter
I have been drawing, painting and basically mark making most of my life. I am a self-taught linocut printmaker and a student of watercolor painting from the Montréal Visual Arts Centre. I have combined my passion for both techniques by interpreting my creative visions with a series of hand painted linocut prints in my own whimsical style. Being and avid traveller, I began printmaking as a way of making art in a format that was easy for me to transport from place to place. I call it my Suitcase Studio. Print making combines many artistic elements that I enjoy playing with. From the tactile carving process to the abstraction of the black and white ink that the relief print creates on the paper. The final addition of hand coloring with watercolor pigment brings the landscapes to life, just as the environment that surrounds me brings me to life.
The Linocut Process
All my prints start with photographs taken while I am out on a drive, walk or hike. When back in the Studio, the pictures are cropped and edited removing any unwanted distractions. Sketches are then drawn and transferred in reverse onto a linoleum block using carbon paper. Each linoleum block is then hand carved using a gouge (a carving knife) to reveal high points. I then roll a thin layer of oil-based ink on the high points of the block. A sheet of recycled watercolor paper is then placed over the linoleum block and with a baren, (a circular hand tool with a smooth, flat face and a handle) I gently rub the back of the paper in a circular motion transferring the ink to the underside of the paper. Once the ink has dried, each relief print is hand colored with artist grade watercolor paint, making each one an original piece of art.
The PEC Series
The first six linocut prints of the series feature weathered barns from around the County. They were inspired by a vacation at Sandbanks Provincial Park in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. It was mid-September, harvest season, when all the fields and pastures were decorated with the most beautiful shades of soft greens, gold, ochres and various shades of earth colors. I knew this had to be the color palette for the barn series.
Enjoy!
The image: 12”x 6” (30.5 cm x 15 cm)Paper: 140lb acid free recycled watercolor paper.
Mat frame: 16“x 10” (40.5cm x 25.5 cm)
Limited edition of 50 prints
The Birch Trees Series
The Birch Trees series is a reprint of a small edition of ten prints I had made a few years ago. A few corrections were made to the four original linoleum plates and for this edition, the color palette will be slightly modified, conveying the changing of the seasons. The series was inspired by long walks I would take around Bird Lake in the Laurentian mountains north of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Enjoy!
The image: 6”x 4” (15 cm x 10 cm)
Paper: 140lb acid free recycled watercolor paper.
Mat frame: 10“x 8” (25 cm x 20 cm)
Limited edition of 50 prints