Andrea Rich SWLA

Statement

Woodcuts can be bold of subtle, crude or refined, like life in all its diverse forms. Printmaking forces me have to consciously decide what Andrea Rich is putting in as well as what she is leaving out. Like sculpting, she cuts away what is unnecessary and am left with an image, clear and strong like the animals and birds I portray. All of Andrea's images are of wildlife she has seen in the wild. Andrea strives to show them as individuals in their natural habitats. It is only in the wild that they are truly able to be themselves.

Methodology

Andrea's work always starts in the field where she finds my inspiration in the birds and wildlife she encounters. Andrea draws and photographs subjects and sometimes cut black and white blocks on site. For colour work she heads back to the studio where she works out compositions and begin the printmaking process. Andrea first becames interested in woodcut prints as a student at the University of Wisconsin in 1971 when she was introduced to Japanese Ukiyo-e prints. Their elegant compositions and intricate surface textures inspired me to explore the mediums many possibilities for design. The process of cutting the blocks has never ceased to delight her. For Andrea's work she uses multiple blocks and incorporate the reduction process. A typical print requires anywhere from 9 to 15 colours each of which is carved separately on a block of wood and printed in a series of layers to produce the finished print. Andrea is working with oil based relief inks and print on oriental paper. An average print will take a month to produce. 

Bio

Born Oct. 31, 1954 Racine, Wisconsin USA

1975 B.S. Art Education, University of Wisconsin, Whitewater

Memberships

Society of Animal Artists New York, NY U.S.A., California Society of Printmakers, Berkeley, CA U.S.A., Artists for Nature Foundation, The Netherlands