Babette Cherne

Babette Gazarian-Cherne grew up in Aspen, Colorado in the pre- resort days, when Main Street was a dirt road mired in mud in the spring, and cougars would walk on the woodpile behind the house. Growing up in an environment that was still wilderness formed her early impressions of how wildlife really live. Simultaneously she was exposed the multi-cultural influence from the Armenian side of the family, which brought with it a richness of color and history in the form of paintings, Persian rugs, stained glass and antiques. All this was to come together as a student of human and art history with an unshakable love of classical painting and wildlife art.

Babette's formal art training began at the University of Iowa and the New York Studio School. After college, she began a long career in commercial art, photography, technical illustration and tromp 'l oeil mural painting. It was in these high pressure professions where she perfected drafting, color use and composition. While beginning a family in 1992, she rededicated herself to fine art, with a renewed interest in printmaking. She was taught the art of mezzo-tint from the renowned Master of Mezzotint G.H. Rothe, and botanical illustration from the Academy of Realist Art in Seattle, Washington. Inspired by a mezzotint triptych of owls an calla lilies on exhibit in Robi - King Galleries, Babette was invited to pursue the art of etching with Island International Artists. Intaglio printmaking to her, is the fruitful combination of sculpture, and painting, because the engraving process on a metal plate produces and extra dimensional image. It is also the culmination of traditional and contemporary techniques. In June 2003 Babette had 5 pieces accepted into the group show "Platemakers: The Printmakers Art at the Northwest Art Center , In Port Townsend, Washington. Her image "When Order Pevails I" won the "Peoples Choice Award"

"When Order Prevails I"; aquatint etching; 19" x 10"	"When Order Prevails II"; aquatint etching; 19" x 10"

Babette lives on Bainbridge Island, in Washington State with her husband, two children and a housefull of furred and winged creatures. She donates art to the community and to organizations dedicated to wildlife preservation.

	"It is the graphic design elements in the natural world that intrigue me the most. There is no greater mastery that what already exists, what lives and breathes all around us. Even as a realist, my art explores the consanguine , relationships of form, the brilliant color the patterns and humor inherent in the Creation. If you look closely , there is more order than chaos. we have been fascinated by the natural world, the very first art created was, in fact, the representation of an animal. I believe as the Masai do concerning the elephant; that without the Animal Kingdom, "Man's heart would die of loneliness".
"Chicken Chat"; aquatint 11 1/2" x 13"		"Disks and Cups I"; Mezzotint; 11" x 11"