RARAMURI BASKET WEAVER | Niki ButcherCopper Canyon, Mexico © 2006
Reviving a Technique
Hand-painted black and white photography is a way for me to express myself more specifically, to make my work more personal. I like to take an image and then add color that might not be entirely true to the original scene, but helps me elicit an ambiance, or a fleeting feeling, that I want to capture. I also delight in the idea that I‘ve revived a photographic technique that once was popular, but now is nearly forgotten.
-Niki Butcher
The Art of Hand Painting Black and White Photographs
Photographed with a Sony digital camera and instead of oil painting with Q-tips and cotton balls, Niki was able to paint using Photoshop. Changing from the old-fashioned way of doing her art, to the new ‘fashion’ of using technology was challenging, but she’s enjoying getting back to her own personal expression.
Archival Print Making
Niki’s open edition gicleé artwork is printed on Sunset Bright Velvet Rag matte finish paper using eight archival inks. A state-of-the-art Epson Stylus Pro printer creates deep, rich dark values that hold subtle detail in the shadows as well as bright vivid colors that are truly tropical.