3 mats-barque (2004) Painting by Fabrice Richard

By dint of watching waves crash against the rocks and dreaming of Breton moors shrouded in mist, Fabrice Richard felt the need to capture the storms of his imagination on paper. He appreciates the work of watercolorists such as Sonia Privat, Alexander Votsmuch, and the recent wave of Chinese artists. However, his influences are more likely to be found in realistic comic book artists, notably Patrick Prugne and Mathieu Lauffray, or photographers such as Philippe Plisson and Mickaël Kenna.

With the presence of water being the common thread of his early subjects, the choice of a medium such as watercolor was obvious. The transparency and freedom of the pigment deposited on wet paper sometimes dictates the watercolorist's vision. It contrasts with the thickness and absolute control of oil or acrylic. Speaking of watercolor, Fabrice Richard often defines it as a living technique that must be mastered. On a more technical level, watercolor is a succession of rapid actions interspersed with drying phases of varying length, which fits well with Fabrice's volatile concentration.

Self-taught, Fabrice Richard discovered watercolor around the age of 17, captivated by its lightness and deceptive simplicity. He learned his trade with a few brushes borrowed from his mother, a silk painter, and a study box. His first years were spent on deserted coasts exposed to the elements before humans gradually appeared in his paintings. More recently, through an association in the Yvelines region, Martine Frébault provided him with the keys to better manage his colors. These elements, once assimilated, should open new horizons by pushing the limits of his abilities.

• Nationality: FRANCE
• Date of birth : 1971
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary French Artists