GRADUATE AWARD WINNER- JAMIE RICHARDS
Jamie Richards
I am a recent graduate illustrator/printmaker from Cardiff, Wales. My interests currently lie within relief printmaking, more specifically linocut and rubber-stamping. My printmaking journey started within lockdown, as a first-year creative student, like many of us, I felt the weight and struggle of working from home, feeling as if I was missing out on the opportunities within my creative degree. As a substitute, I was kindly sent a linocut kit by the university, immediately I was hooked, moving on 2 years and I find myself completely engrossed within the process, making multiple prints a week, whilst exploring its vast boundaries.
I set career goals for myself at the start of 2023, I learnt that I needed multiple streams of income to be successful and since then I have been building on this.
Running parallel to my degree, I have been leading my own printmaking workshops with the likes of Criw Celf and the Printhaus, I have my artworks stocked in multiple local shops, I’ve been trading in makers markets all over the UK, running have-a-go activities at events like Printed Festival 2023, as well working on commissioned works revolving around heritage.
In terms of subject matter, I like to keep options open and restricting myself to specific focuses doesn’t work for me. Nevertheless, I do find recurring themes, these revolving around nature, heritage, and a general documentation of what I see and feel within that moment of time.
Due to the rise of social media, inspiration is everywhere. But I’m inspired mainly by process, as a methodical thinker I love learning new processes and perfecting the ones I already know, this could be in my printmaking, papermaking, or bookbinding. I believe this is why printmaking resonates with me! Most printmaking processes acquire well thought out methods because of its nature. The idea of becoming efficient whilst printmaking excites me.
In terms of education, I studied Art & Design, Art photography and Product Design at A-level. I then attended a 1-year Art Foundation course where I found a love for Illustration. With this found passion I studied Illustration at Cardiff school of Art Design and recently graduated with a 1st class degree. Here I was introduced to the printmaking by CSAD printmaking TD, Tom Martin. I aspire to eventually become a printmaking technical demonstrator or technician myself, where I can express my love for print and show others the magic that’s held within.