:: Wellington Studio

Richard himself has designed the garden at his studio. Filled with many varieties of flora - for example, hollyhocks, foxgloves, poppies and wisteria - it is a small haven for wildlife and has been a starting point for many of Richard's prints. 

Each single print takes considerable time to produce. Aside from the time taken drawing the image, (which takes many hours and some strength!) - the plate must be re-inked and hand-wiped for each print made.  The plates are printed on Richard’s antique etching presses - the technique having changed very little since Rembrandt’s day.
The press is turned by hand then the damp paper is peeled off the plate to reveal an image which is thus unique - no mass production here!  The print is then dried for eight hours under weights and finally hand-coloured, giving another dimension of uniqueness - an application of watercolour painting which works with the drypoint line.  Use of precise colour is extremely important here; Richard spends a lot of time proofing the colours, until the right balance is achieved.

‘I always draw directly onto the plate from my chosen subject. By a process of elimination, over the years, I’ve tried to express the essence of what I see. My images thus have a characteristic ‘pared-down’ quality.
I love working straight onto the copper - this is my work - the act of drawing on the resistant copper dictates the way I draw, and the way the image turns out.  I am not transposing from another medium, so each print is an original interpretation, individually printed by hand, and hand painted.  Each print is thus slightly different.
I enjoy the rich velvet blacks of the drypoint line against the pure pigment of the watercolour.  I find the vibrancy of the pigment against the strength of the black a beautiful combination.’

Richard Spare 2007

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