Signed, titled and numbered 8/20 in pencil lower margin. Elizabeth Kind Durand (Born 1938) Known for her original, scenic, hand-colored etchings, monoprints and collagraphs. Her collection holds some of Western New York's finest landscapes, including picturesque views of the Finger Lakes region. St. Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana, finely primed and polished her passion for art, but her journey did not end there. In addition to creating her own beautiful works, she enjoys teaching others the craft of drawing and printmaking. Elizabeth has made quite an impression on art students here in Rochester, as an art instructor at both Rochester Institute of Technology, and St. John Fisher College, where she lectures today. To showcase her most prominent works, she holds permanent collections at the Gannett Foundation, The Charles Rand Penny Collections, Strong Memorial Hospital, Memorial Art Gallery and the Xerox Corporation. Printmaker Elizabeth King Durand grew up in the town of Irondequoit in Rochester, where she and her sister played in apple orchards by their home that extended nearly to Lake Ontario. "A connection to nature and outdoor play were constant," says Durand, now 77. Her parents valued creativity and imaginative play and encouraged Durand's artistic interests from an early age. Well-traveled and having lived in several cities, Durand and her husband settled in the town of Pittsford in 1969, where they raised their three children. She's experienced decades of ever-changing local landscapes " a recurring theme in her impressive body of artwork. Durand's artist statement notes: "I endeavor to picture a strong sense of place in my etchings; the rolling hills, lakeside scenes and the seasonal changes that are representative of this locale. The interplay of parkland and skyline, so essential to the look of our region, figures prominently in my work, offering a rich variety of images and impressions." Rochester's Shoestring Gallery represented Durand's work for nearly 40 years until it closed in 2007. Retired owner Nancy Esmay says Durand was "without question, the most popular artist. Her work speaks to the hearts of people of all ages and lifestyles." Durand studied drawing, painting, silk screen and woodcut printmaking at St. Mary's College in South Bend, Indiana and graduated in 1960 with a degree in fine arts. Etching evolved into her preferred art process after Memorial Art Gallery (MAG) classes with Eric Bellmann in 1973. She also enjoys creating unique collagraph monoprints. "The etching process provides a way to be descriptive in a linear way, while the monoprints allow me to explore veils and layers of color that evoke my sense of landscape and mood," Durand explains. Prints start with the creation of images on a master plate, using either "intaglio" (impressions etched into the surface) or "relief" (applying materials that raise the printing surface) methods. Durand's etchings are produced intaglio. Designs are drawn with an etching needle and bitten with acid into a zinc or copper plate. Black ink is pressed into the lines and the plate surface is wiped before paper is applied and turned through the press to produce the print. She later embellishes the images with watercolor. Plates are wiped down and ink re-applied to create up to 100 prints before the plate degrades. Etchings yield multiple editions, each an original work of art. Larger scale collagraph monoprints are singular works. Durand utilizes intaglio and relief processes, using plastic master plates, colored ink and overlaying multiple images in the printing process, sometimes later stenciling by hand. The result is a delicately complex and unique masterpiece. Please ask specific questions on details, condition, and shipping prior to bidding, ALL ITEMS ARE SOLD AS IS, and the bidder will be responsible for payment. We box and ship what we can to keep costs low, and use USPS and UPS. Large items, extremely fragile, and high value items will be packed by UPS. Quotes available on request