linocut Illustrations & surface patterns My Story, My Art ............................. 4 Process From Start to Finish .......... 6 Working in Layers ........................... 7 Book Illustrations ............................ 9 Patterns in Black & White .............. 13 Prairie Patchwork Collection ......... 14 Prairie Patchwork Inspiration ........ 17 Vector & Versatility ......................... 18 The Patterned Path Collection ....... 24 The Patterned Path Inspiration ...... 27 Moonlit Collection .......................... 34 Moonlit Collection Inspiration ...... 37 Into the Woods Collection ............. 42 Into the Woods Inspiration ............ 43 My Vision ......................................... 46 Contact Renée White ...................... 49 Photos: Captured in Amber Photography All images and artwork are copyright 2021 by Renée White. The contents of this document may not be reproduced, distributed or published without prior permission from Renée White of White River Studio.
www.whiteriverdesignstudio.com
To make a mark by pressing against a surface. To fix firmly in the mind or memory.
There are many layers to my career as an artist and designer that I draw from. Art is the visual language used to tell stories inspired by nature, literature and history. Printmaking is the starting point of my creative process for illustrations and surface pattern designs. As a printmaker, I strive to produce unique, memorable work using my signature style to make an impression and bring beauty to the world.
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As a prairie girl with a passion for linocut printmaking, I have inherited a deep respect for tradition, family, integrity and hard work from my pioneering ancestors. The illustrations, designs and surface patterns I create with my prints are a labour of love that begin with hand-carved linocuts I create in my studio. “White River Studio” is the brand for my company which I run from my cozy, home workspace in Calgary, Alberta. My husband and I live in a busy household with our two teenage children, and our many pets of all sizes and species. Even though we live in the city, we call our house a homestead as we have lots of chores and yard work to tackle as we care for our pets (which include three cats, a large rescued dog, two leopard geckos and a frog). My home is my happy place and my workplace. Creating a warm, welcoming environment for my family and friends is important to me as a mother, wife and artist. When I graduated from art school with a BFA in Visual Communications, I began my career as a graphic designer. After I started a family, I stepped away from advertising agency life to begin working from home as a freelance graphic designer. Balancing my work and family life is important to me. Somehow I found time between work and family to teach art classes. Teaching art returned me to my fine art roots and I realized the hands-on approach to making art was something I still yearned for. Working with linocuts refueled my creative spirit and I knew I had to find a way to incorporate printmaking into my creative business. Three years ago, I decided to transition from graphic design to printmaking and illustration. The process has been full of learning, inspiration and digging in to discover my signature style. I continue to refine my skills and set new goals to grow my business. Licensing my artwork for home decor, stationery and publishing is the next step to sharing my artwork with customers who are searching for unique products made with old world craftsmanship and character.
Linocuts fuel my creative business
My work has been described as “moonlit,” “moody” and “vintage-inspired.” I enjoy telling stories with my art using references from literature, history, and nature. Pulling characters from the pages of books, researching history and exploring the wonders of the natural world provide a rich source of inspiration. Because I use black ink on white paper for my linocuts, I work with the elements of shadow and light as well as shape, form and texture in my printmaking. Visiting local vintage and antique shops is one of my favourite pastimes. I want to fill my home with meaningful, beautiful things that I treasure. Vintage items have stood the test of time in a world filled with mass-produced, disposable products. They come from an era when things were built to last. I enjoy curating the things I see and use everyday to suit my aesthetic style. Even my favourite coffee mug is an expression of my personal taste. When I see it in the cupboard or on my desk, it makes me happy. I strive for my art to be like that mug – something beautiful that I have brought into my home that has a purpose and is a meaningful part of my day-to-day life. Printing my artwork on decorative items makes it a tactile experience. Like my favourite mug, I can hold it in my hands, feel its warmth and know it has been created with craftsmanship and integrity. 4
It took me many years working as an artist and designer to develop my unique process of creating art and illustrations. With a background in advertising design, I am able to take my projects from start to finish. I combine my drawing, printmaking, photography, design, and computer skills to produce my artwork. This has proven to be useful for a wide range of projects that have included logos, oracle cards, books, posters and package designs, to name only a few. Collaborating with clients, working with art directors, and coordinating projects with production partners are also part of my skillset and are all areas where I continue to have success.
Linocut, also known as lino print, is a relief printmaking technique. The negative space of the image is carved out of the linoleum using a V-shaped tool called a gouge. Blades of different shapes can be used to create different types of cuts. Each piece I create begins with a drawing on linoleum. Using a black Sharpee marker helps me visualize how the image will look once it is printed. I prefer to use linoleum that is mounted on a wood block. Once the block is carved, the remaining surface is inked with a roller and pressed onto paper to produce a mirror-image print. This can be done with a press or by hand. I carve and print my linocuts by hand using water soluble black ink. Once dry, I scan the lino print to digitize it and preserve the unique texture. Working in a digital format allows me to fine-tune, layer, colour and scale my artwork. The final artwork is in vector format. This adds versatility to my art so it is suitable for many applications.
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Working in Layers
Throughout my process, I incorporate the varied skills I have acquired over many years in the creative industry and adhering to artistic discipline. To create surface patterns, I layer elements from my initial drawings and linocut prints as well as my photos. Developing layers of line work, linocuts, typography, and texture adds interest to my visual storytelling.
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Illustrations & Covers
I am a book lover. As an artist and designer, seeing the cover art on beautiful books in a bookstore is an exciting experience for me. Creating moody illustrations inspired by stories, history and nature is the essence of my linocut artwork. My artwork feels right at home on the covers and pages of books. Working with typography allows me to elevate my illustrations for cover art. Each character of text on a book cover can have a personality that adds to the overall expression of the story inside. Researching specific details to help convey the time period and characters of a story are an essential part of the creation process. The old-world feel of my illustrations adds an element of craftsmanship and tradition to the artwork I create with my hand-carved linocuts.
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Bringing words to life with linocut illustrations 10
Inspired by the characters from my favourite books, “Novel Nightmares” is a personal project I have created to showcase my linocut artwork. The series combines my love for literature and spooky things.
My illustrations have a vintage look that is influenced by the organic, flowing forms and figures of Art Nouveau style.
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Surface Pattern Design My linocut surface pattern designs begin with a black and white print. Working in black and white allows me to concentrate on composition, value, light and form. The unique texture of linocut prints reflect my interest in things that are a little rough around the edges. I preserved this unique texture when I digitize my prints. Once they are vectorized, I am able to add colour to my linocuts digitally.
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SURFACE PATTERN COLLECTION The beauty of the prairie landscape stirs my soul. Gazing up at the prairie skies on a lazy, summer afternoon transports me back to my childhood. It felt like summer would last forever as I ran through the vast fields of gold rippling in the wind. I would stop to study the flowers and tuck some into my pocket to bring home. My favourite childhood book was “Little House On The Prairie” by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This collection is a tribute to pioneer life on the prairies. I have stitched together colourful, patchwork skies, fields, and flowers to create a “Prairie Patchwork.” The two colour palettes reflect the changing hues on the prairie as the seasons change from summer to fall.
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THE PRAIRIE PATCHWORK COLLECTION • SUMMER GOLD
The golds and blues of summer time surround me
Living in Alberta, Canada, I am surrounded by the beauty of the prairies and the mountains. I gathered reference for this collection while taking summer road trips with my family. The photos of rolling fields and prairie skies are both beautiful and inspiring. Visits to antique shops and markets also provide reference for the embroidery and stitch work in this collection. My favourite piece was an antique tray made from a framed embroidery piece. The hours of work that go into stitching and working with fabric is something for which I have great respect. The quilt symbolizes heritage and resourcefulness. Quilts serve a dual purpose as they are both decorative and essential for warmth and sleep. “Prairie Patchwork” is representative of my family’s pioneering and farming heritage. This collection features drawings, linocuts and even a motif I created with a potato stamp. Using different mediums adds unique textures and lines to my work.
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Working with vector files created from my linocut prints adds versatility to my work. Scaling, colouring and adding layers to my prints provides opportunities to use my art for a variety of applications. I currently sell my linocut illustrations and surface pattern designs on Creative Market. I also have a shop on Etsy featuring products with my linocut artwork. Expanding my products to market my work is one of my goals.
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THE PRAIRIE PATCHWORK COLLECTION • FALL HARVEST
Fall unfolds in the glow of orange and brown
I enjoy working with my hands when I carve and print my linocuts. Preserving the tradition of handmade craftsmanship is an important aspect of my work. I preserve the rustic quality of my linocut prints when I digitize them for my illustrations.
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O L L E C TCOLLECTION ION SURFACECPATTERN A young lady strolls down an English garden path contemplating her life and secret ambitions. She is captivated by the beauty that surrounds her and the patterns in nature. “The Patterned Path” tells her story. Period pieces and classic novels appeal to me for their romantic and historical charm. This collection was inspired by a handmade card I found in an envelope of my grandmother’s keepsakes after she passed away. It was a card I had made for her as a girl. I was touched and honoured that she had saved it for so many years. The poem I had written in the card was “Patterns” by Amy Lowell. My “Patterned Path” is a collection of vintage florals, secret keys and sweet memories of my beloved grandmother.
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THE PATTERNED PATH COLLECTION • HEIRLOOM
I walked into the garden, up and down the patterned paths
Whenever I begin a project, I create an idea board for inspiration. I search my photo archives then go online to find images that capture the right mood. I also write a list of theme words to help describe the collection. These images and words help me visualize the story I want to tell as I draw, create my linocuts and develop patterns. For this project, I scanned letters written by my grandmother to use her actual handwriting in the “Pen to Paper” pattern. It’s small details like this that add authenticity and extra meaning to my artwork.
The poem I wrote in a card for my grandmother when I was a girl. “Patterns” by Amy Lowell addresses the role of women in society at the time the poem was written.
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THE PATTERNED PATH COLLECTION • IMPRESSIONIST
I walk down the garden path in my stiff, brocaded gown
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Drawing is an essential skill for artists. I use a combination of real-life and photographic reference in my work. Whenever possible, I prefer to observe and draw from real life to capture the details and subtleties of a subject. Flowers and plants are some of my favourite things to draw.
SURFACE PATTERN COLLECTION Moonlight casts light in the darkness, but also creates shadows. Shining stars, velvet skies and moonlight create the mysterious world in this collection. I am intrigued by the paper moon portraits that were popular in the early 1900’s. They are symbolic of our unending fascination with the moon and stars. There is something timeless and magical about gazing up at the night sky to see the Man in the Moon or walking through the forest and discovering mushrooms under an old tree. For this collection I have created enchanting linocuts of celestial elements and forest plants that hold healing properties. “Moonlit” creates a visual lullaby that captures the romance and nostalgia of the night.
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MOONLIT COLLECTION • FOREST NIGHT
This collection came to light after I visited an exhibition of Van Gogh’s work. His paintings were projected into a moving masterpiece that danced around the room. I was awestruck when I saw “Starry Night” larger than life covering the walls and floor of the gallery. The colour and brushstrokes enveloped the room. Inspired to create my own version of swirling, magical patterns from that experience, the colour palette I chose was inspired by the forest. It is soft and soothing to balance the movement and texture of Van Gogh’s compelling images of nature.
Vintage paper moon photos were an inspiration for this collection. I wanted to capture the same nostalgic charm of these souvenir photos that were popular in the early 1900’s.
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MOONLIT COLLECTION • MOONSTRUCK
Digitizing my linocuts gives me the ability to layer elements and tell stories. Custom typography and handwritten lettering adds another layer of detail. Extracted elements from my prints can also be used to build surface patterns and create illustrations for products to sell in my shop.
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SURFACE PATTERN MINI COLLECTION Many stories and fairy tales take place in the woods. They are magical places full of life and colour. This collection was inspired by a summer trip my family took to a friend’s cabin in a remote part of Northern Alberta. The cabin has been lovingly maintained to preserve the original 1960’s style from when it was built. The old calendars on the walls and books on the shelves add to the cozy, rustic warmth. The illustrations and patterns I created would be right at home in that cabin in the woods. The animals, plants and colours in this collection bring me back to the charm of that cabin. Using photo reference of the native plants and animals was an important part of creating an authentic representation of this special place.
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INTO THE WOODS MINI COLLECTION • FLANNEL & INDIGO
The cool, quiet calm of the forest combined with the warmth of plaid flannel inspired the colour palette for this mini surface pattern design collection. The red accents are a reflection of the changing seasonal colours of the woods.
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The quiet beauty of the woods is calling
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Ever since I was a child sitting at the kitchen table with my box of markers and roll of paper, I have wanted to be an artist. My mom says I always refused to use colouring books because I preferred to draw my own pictures. Telling my own story has been important to me my whole life. Like the prairie I call my home, linocuts have a unique, rustic quality. This connection to nature and history is imprinted in my work. I have spent my career learning many skills and refining my artistic voice. Combining these skills in the work I create through White River Studio is only part of my vision. My dream is to transform my artwork into tangible, beautiful items people bring into their lives to enjoy everyday. My artwork represents craftsmanship and quality.
Every picture tells a story
I am a BFA educated artist and graphic designer with many years of experience in numerous creative environments including a metro-daily newspaper, advertising agencies as well as television and film art departments. Currently, I am a working graphic designer, illustrator, and owner of my small business, White River Studio. My qualifications include: • A unique, combined commercial and fine art skillset • Specialist in illustration, design, photography and printmaking • Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft software • Experienced with creating projects from start to finish within tight deadlines • Work experience with a wide range of clients from small businesses to large corporations • Ongoing education through classes and certifications My illustrations, designs and surface patterns are available for licensing contracts and branding partnerships. I look forward to connecting with you to discuss your project.
Website
www.whiteriverdesignstudio.com
renee@whiteriverdesignstudio.com
@whiteriverartstudio
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RENÉE WHITE
linocut illustrations & surface patterns whiteriverdesignstudio.com