Annette Aucoin: Celebrating Turning Eighty

ARTIST STATEMENT

Turning eighty this month I have thought a lot about ancient oak trees.  I have known many generations before me and presently four generations.  All of these generations have seen the growth of the ancient oaks I know today,

I never knew my great grandmother who lived on Clinton Street in Lafayette.  I wonder what she thought of the cathedral oak that was in her view every time she went to church?  How many of my heirs will view this oak with respect for its endurance of time.  Turning eighty I am like an ancient oak in that I am part of the past and the future.

Printmaking was my passion; until, I realized that the warmth of the copper plate was more important to me than the print on paper.   Two of my aquatint plates are exhibited on the left wall along with a hand pulled print from each plate.

The copper and bronze plates are etched and waxed.  I draw on the plates with markers and etch them with ferric chloride or electro etch.  They are waxed with “Rub & Buff” wax.

Most of the work in this show is framed with recycled frames from Goodwill.