Richard Foster

I was born and raised in the north of Cumbria, within sight of Hadrian’s Wall, Lanercost Priory and Naworth Castle. As a result, history and the natural world have always fired my imagination.

I trained as an art historian at Manchester University and completed my training with a Postgraduate Diploma in Museum and Art Gallery Studies. My work shows the influence of printmakers of the past, particularly early 20th century etchers and wood engravers, including Ralph Middleton Todd, DY Cameron, Charles Tunnicliffe and Claire Leighton

I adopt a consciously traditional etching technique, involving copper plates and wax based resists. A variation on the traditional method is the use of Ferric Chloride to etch the plate. This gentler acid allows for longer periods of etching and therefore greater control of the process.

The subject matter for many of my prints is the Cumbrian landscape. I try to find locations which are archetypal rather than particular – places that have a resonance because they are in the North of England but equally could be anywhere in the UK. I am fascinated by the play of light on different surfaces and delight in the challenge of suggesting different colours with only black, white and shades of grey.