An artist of Queens County. BiographyI am an Artist, Non-Toxic Printmaker, Instructor and Mom. I work in the mediums: Intaglio type, collagraph, monoprint, wood cut, polyester plate lithography, and copper and aluminum etching. A lot of my work is strongly influenced by my everyday life on Prince Edward Island, . My love of the printmaking medium started with printing on fabric at College. After graduating I started working on paper and I loved the idea of editioning an image with many different colors, exploring the many possibilities with one image. Collaging images and ideas is a big part of my work, and that is why Intaglio type printing is such a fascinating medium for me.
I graduated from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 1984. I have played with many possibilities, but my main passion since 1998 has been non-toxic printmaking. Working in the medium of non-toxic printmaking, enables me to work at home. I do not need acids or solvents when printmaking. I love painting and drawing directly on copper and aluminum plates when etching. Playing with my photography, I collage photos to create new imagery to create Intaglio Type prints with ImagOn. During my college years I spent most of my time in textiles designing fabric in the weaving studio and printing and painting on fabric in the textile studio. Today technology has taken a forefront in my art and I find it an interesting experience. I started exploring computer possibilities to replace the traditional darkroom halftone process in printmaking. The next logical step was to explore computer possibilities to create imagery working with photography. Education & TrainingEducation and Training
1999 International Non-Toxic Printmaking Master Workshop
“Non-Toxic Intaglio” with Keith Howard, School of Non-Toxic Printmaking, Grande Prairie, Alberta.
1984 Bachelor of Fine Arts in Fine Art.
Nova Scotia College of Art and Design
1979-81 A two year study in weaving, spinning, and dyeing (natural and chemical). Holland College School of Visual Arts
Workshops Attended
1999 Japanese Woodcut with Brian Kelley; Printmakers Council Studio in the Arts Guild
1999 International Non-Toxic Printmaking Master Workshop, "Non-Toxic Intaglio" with Keith Howard, School of Non-Toxic Printmaking, Grande Prairie, Alberta.
1995 Wood-block with Sharon Puddester; Printmaker's Council Studio in the Arts Guild.
1990-93 Lithography, with Lotti Thomas.
Print Workshop, with Harold Klunder.
Silkscreen, with Libby Hague.
Wood-block, with Anne Meredith Barry.
Etching and Lithography with Otis Tomasauskas.
Etching and Mono print with Jan Winton, at the Rutherford Studio in Pinette.
Invited lectures
2007 (June) “Culture and the Construction of Islandness”, An Island Studies Conference held at the University of Prince Edward Island, It was the 3rd International Conference on Small Island Cultures. Invited to present “An Islander’s Perspective” a sound and visual presentation.
2007 (April) “Out of Our Minds Gallery “A two day workshop on Aluminium Etching, Murray Harbour, PEI. with a wonderful group of artists and teachers
2007 (March) Art Smarts Project with Souris Consolidated School “Introduction to Non-Toxic Printmaking and Aluminium Etching” Grade 1 to grade 8 students took part in the project.
2006 (May) Taught a teachers workshop AIntroduction to Polyester Plate Lithography@ put on by the PEI Visual Arts Teachers Association.
2006 (June) Taught a workshop introducing Polyester Plate Lithography with grade 7 students, grade 9 students and teachers at East Wiltshire School in the Industrial Arts Lab.
2006 (Feb.) Art Smarts Project with Stone Park Intermediate School,@ Introduction to Non-Toxic Printmaking and Aluminium Etching@, Ten Grade 9 classes took part, Approx. 300 students and teachers.
2006 (Jan.) Introduction to Aluminium Etching with the education students at the University of Prince Edward Island, in the Art Bunker in the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
2005-06 (Fall, 05) Introduction to Non-Toxic Printmaking and Aluminium Etching, (Fall, 06) Mono-printing with nature and transparent paste, with the elementary education students at University of Prince Edward Island, in the Art Bunker at the Confederation Centre of the Arts.
2005 (spring) Organized and taught a workshop ANon-Toxic Printmaking@ for the Visual Art Students at Westisle Composite High School.
2004 (spring) Organized and taught a workshop AAn Introduction to Non-Toxic Printmaking@ for art teachers in the Intermediate school system, at my studio “Expanding Horizons”.
1998-07 Teaching adult professional workshops in non-toxic printmaking in the Expanding Horizons Studio.
2001 Re-established the Expanding Horizons Studio at a new location, as a professional printmaking studio and gallery.
1998 Established @ Expanding Horizons@, A professional printmaking studio and a school for children Art classes
1997 Conducted two workshops for the Kindergarten Conference in Charlottetown. Titled: "Allowing and Encouraging Creativity through Arts and Crafts"
1997 Conducted an adult water-based silk screen workshop at the Arts Guild, Charlottetown, PEI
1996-97 Teaching children's Arts & Crafts Classes, privately owned business (Debra's Arts & Crafts).
1995 Conducted Textile Workshop on Printing on Fabric: Holland College School of Creative Arts, Fashion Arts Department, Charlottetown, PEI
1995 Instructed classes on Silkscreen, Etching, mono printing, and Printing on Textiles: Printmaker's Council Studio in the Arts Guild, Charlottetown, PEI
Experience
2007 Technical support for Demography-the Musical, A story in song written and performed by Annabel J. Cohen. Assisted with the photography and the media presentation at The Fringe, the 2007 Charlottetown Festival.
2006 Collaborative project with the University 100 students and “Reflections” a solo show of lithography prints as a writing project.
2006 CMTC (Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research in Culture, Multimedia, Technology, and Cognition) working on project AAn Islander=s Perspective: Sound and Image
2005 Collaborative project with the University 103 and the First Year Advantage programme at the University of Prince Edward Island, “I=m Telling you a Story” a solo show of Intaglio prints, used in a collaboration of visual art and creative writing.
2005 Consultant paper written for the Confederation Centre of the Arts space called the Art Bunker. Recommendation on budget and organization of space for a mobile Non-Toxic printmaking set up.
2005 Restored and reconditioned the etching press at the Confederation Centre of the Arts
2004-06 Participation in the resources of the Arts Netlantic Media Production Studio and The Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Research in Culture, Multimedia, Technology, and Cognition (CMTC) at the University of Prince Edward Island, acquired technical skills using Digital Imaging hardware and software for Non-Toxic Printmaking and worked on a research project A Study of Cultural Diversity using Images of Universal Values, Emotions, and Experiences. .Also experimented with two new kinds of ImagOn, (ImagOn Rapid & ImagOn Pro) developed by Keith Howard.
2001 Organized ANon-Toxic Printmaking Show@ at the Keir Gallery, May 17 to 30, I Invited artists I knew working in Non-toxic printmaking from South Africa, Puerto Rico, Tennessee, Ontario, North Carolina, New York, Saskatchewan, and Oregon. Plus 12 Island Artist joined the international artists to promote safer working habits and environmentally friendly printmaking. Total of 39 prints.
1999 Organized Japanese woodcut workshop and hosted Toronto artist Brian Kelly for the Printmaker’s Council of PEI at the Arts Guild, Charlottetown, PEI
1995 Organized Woodblock workshop, NFLD artist Sharon Puddester, for the Printmaker@s Council of PEI at the Arts Guild, Charlottetown, PEI
1994-95 Studio technician: Printmaker's Council Studio in the Arts Guild, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
1990-95 Volunteer treasurer, Printmaker=s Council Studio in the Arts Guild, Charlottetown, PEI
1984 Coordinated publicity and general program for a Craft Fair: Nova Scotia Designer Craftsmen, Halifax, N.S.
Published Articles
Brandon, Laura. AOnce Upon A Time@, Arts Atlantic 28 (Spring 1987): 22.
Ledwell, Jane. AExpanding Creative Horizons@ The Buzz May, 2000
Wood, Annie. (with Evagelou, Fani and Farquharson, Catherine) Canadian Women Invent! Pg. 21, Published in Canada by Inventive Women Inc. www.inventivewomen.com
Collections
Art to the Schools, Friends of the Confederation Centre: 2005, Collagraph print
Canadian Art Bank: 1992, Wood-block print
1986, woven Garment
Private Collections in Canada and in the U.S.A. & Japan
Teaching, ArtsSmarts, Studio VisitsTeaching Debra James Percival does offer to teach. Please contact using the information provided above. ArtsSmarts Debra James Percival is interested in ArtsSmarts opportunities. Teachers should contact this artist using the information provided above. Studio Visits: Yes, By Appointment. |
Debra James Percival