Richard D. Finch was born in 1951 in Springfield, MO. He is an artist and educator living and working in Bloomington, Illinois.
Finch began teaching at Illinois State University in 1976 where he has taught all levels of printmaking and drawing, and served as Director of Illinois State University’s Normal Editions Workshop for 30 years until his retirement from teaching in 2014. In addition to his teaching and service activities at ISU, Finch maintains an active research agenda and exhibition schedule with an emphasis on the use of the human figure and still life objects as subject matter in the visual arts. His works have been included in numerous exhibitions throughout the United States and in Europe, have won many awards, and have been acquired by many public and private collections. He has conducted printmaking workshops throughout the United States, and he has been the recipient of several grants from Illinois State University, the Illinois Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts.
MFA, Southern Illinois University; Edwardsville, IL (1976)
BA, Southern Illinois University; Edwardsville, IL (1974)
Internship, Landfall Press, Chicago, IL (1973)
Professor of Art Emeritus, (Normal Editions Workshop, drawing, and printmaking), Illinois State University; Normal, IL (active 1977-2014)
Richard D. Finch participated in three collaborative print projects at Normal Editions Workshop in the School of Art at Illinois State University. Each edition was commissioned by a sponsor who selected the artist for their project.
Artist Richard Finch using an ink roller at Normal Editions
A Tribute to Illinois State University was produced with partial support from a SSHRC grant (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) as part of a consortium of North American university print publishers www.publicpressink.com is the website documenting that endeavor.
Benjamin Britten: Crossroads is included in the Illinois Artists and The Intimate Print traveling exhibitions available from Normal Editions Workshop.
Professor Richard Finch, Director of Normal Editions Workshop, drawing on mylars
students observe Richard Finch and Veda Rives printing run one
Veda Rives uses a brush and fluid for careful deletions on a plate
Richard Finch and Veda Rives printing red ink for run two
Chris Hagen and Veda Rives printing blue ink for run three
two color trial proofs, a plate, & a roller from the work in-progress
color trial proofs for review
Justin Vickers, project sponsor, and Richard Finch, artist, review proofs
Veda Rives and Richard Finch review five-color lithograph
close inspection of a proof by Richard Finch
impression being chopped with 3 blind-emboss chops
one each for the printshop, N.E.W.; the artist, Richard Finch; and the printer, Veda Rives
Artist, Richard Finch, signing a print from the edition
Professor Richard Finch, Director, Veda Rives, Associate Director, and Kelsey Just working with color samples
Katie Johnson sponging the plate for run one
Richard Finch, Lisa Lofgren, and Veda Rives preparing to print run one
Katie Johnson and Veda Rives pulling a proof for run one
Lisa Lofgren sponging and Richard Finch rolling ink for run one
Lisa Lofgren and Veda Rives printing yellow ink for run one
Veda Rives rolling yellow ink for run #1 with Lisa Lofgren assisting
Richard Finch pulling an impression for run one while Lisa Lofgren smooths grease on the tympan
Richard Finch pulls the last impression for run one
Alyssa Tauber assists Veda Rives with printing red ink for run two
Veda Rives and Alyssa Tauber reviewing proofs
N.E.W. Student assistants Katie Johnson, Lisa Lofgren, and Alyssa Tauber apply blind emboss chop marks to each impression of the edition