We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Rosalyn Richards a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Rosalyn, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What were some of the most unexpected problems you’ve faced in your career and how did you resolve those issues?

When one works with the printmaking medium unexpected occurrences will often happen, either in how chemicals are used in etching a plate, or during the printing process itself. I have learned to accept these so called accidents as they allow for improvisation and problem solving that could lead to a more interesting result for the final project than one might have originally imagined. In my own work I often used multiple printing plates to layer colors and imagery. I sometimes reach a snag where a plate I imagined as the key image for the design has to be eventually used in a more minor role as a background, or I must redesign it to function in a more subtle manner. In these cases I am able to find new directions or surprises that I did not imagine when I started the project. I remember my teacher in art school used to etch his plates in our classroom and one time he left the plate in the acid solution too long. He went over to look at it and instead of being upset, he approached it with an open mind and said that now he would have to rethink that plate and use it in a new way. I learned a lot by watching how he reacted, and it was not with disappointment but with curiosity. I think that mindset is important for creative growth.

Rosalyn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I studied as an undergraduate in a visual arts school and had a broad education that exposed me to a variety of paths that an artist might follow for a professional career. My inclination was to follow a fine arts degree, and having started out as a painting major I found my interests moved more into printmaking after taking two required courses in that area. What intrigued me was the indirectness of printmaking, how one worked on a matrix using a variety of tools or chemicals before seeing the final product pulled off the printing press. I was also excited about the multiple ways one could keep changing the image and have many prints to look at that would reveal the changes and thought process involved in the creative process.

I believe what characterizes my visual work is an interest in improvisation as a creative tool. Images from nature and a love of geometry form a foundation for many of my ideas. I have been influenced by scientific images from satellite photography, biology, cosmology, particle physics, as well as direct observation of nature. My compositional strategy uses patterns of growth, accumulation of marks/shapes, and repetition to echo natural forms and their intricacies. I also have a creative interest in slow art and slow growth as a meditative practice to see what these structures can reveal to the imagination.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think what is most rewarding about a creative practice is how it can rekindle a sense of wonder by using the imagination. Creative work can help one to release expectations, to explore ideas in order to see where it can take one, and to learn to trust and follow the intuition. Success, as measured by the outside world, such as selling work, getting into art school, an instructor or client valuing your work, are fine but are external experiences. The internal growth that comes from creative practice as one develops the imagination and their personal visual language is what is most valuable for an artist.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

In terms of philosophy, any of Buddhist monk, Pema Chodron’s books are very helpful. She teaches one to move deeply into those hard things that scare us such as uncertainty, change, pain, etc. These are the things we want to run away from but we can learn and grow by allowing the experience into our lives more fully.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.rosalynrichards.com
• Instagram: @rrichrds