Fresh off its debut screening in Campbell River, a documentary on the life and work of Quadra Island artist Richard Calver is coming to his home community Wednesday, April 22, at Quadra Library.
Richard Calver: A Life in Print, was created by Ken Blackburn of the Campbell River Art Council and Marjorie Greaves of Shaw TV. The 40-minute film gives viewers a glimpse into Calver’s creative process and inspiration.
The film premiered with a screening in February at Campbell River Art Gallery.
Calver was born in England in 1946 and moved to Canada at age 19, settling on Quadra Island. The turning point in his artistic life came in his 30s when he met renowned artist Sybil Andrews in Campbell River.
Andrews is famous worldwide for her linocuts - a printmaking technique in which a sheet of linoleum is used for the relief surface. Inspired and encouraged by Andrews, Richard soon became more serious about his art and purchased his own linocut tools. As Andrews’ student, Calver’s style blossomed.
Natural forms are the foundation of many of Calver’s pieces. His other work, as a part-time gardener, inspired the botanical images seen in well-known linocuts like Thistle, Teasel, Sun Flowers and Skunk Cabbage. Each linocut is created through an intensive process. Individual colours are printed from as many as five blocks with special care taken to ensure perfect alignment. Linocut printing can be a painstaking and laborious procedure that takes hours to achieve.
“Richard Calver has carried on the legacy of Sybil Andrews in a most individual and unique manner”, said Blackburn. “The calibre of his work is remarkable”.
Calver still lives and works on Quadra Island. He was a founding member and longtime board member of the Campbell River Art Gallery and recently had a solo show at Victoria’s Winchester Galleries.
Admission to the screening is by donation. For more information, contact arts.council@crarts.ca or 250-923-0213.