Annick Richard-Keller’s journey in watercolor began as an instinctive call from her childhood. Art felt like a natural path, leading her to study formally before diving into experimental computer graphics at the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris from 1979 to 1982. Yet, technology couldn’t compete with the freedom she found in watercolor. Her abstract, fluid approach is deeply personal, weaving spontaneity, imagination, and exploration.
For Richard-Keller, watercolor is unrestricted. Each blank page becomes an unpredictable journey, guided by an initial spot of color that sparks a conversation between the artist and the medium. She trusts her instincts, allowing forms and shapes to emerge organically. This process rejects strict structure, capturing fleeting impressions as they surface. Her style, which she calls “free painting,” thrives in the moment, reflecting her deliberate choice to let intuition lead.
Richard-Keller’s watercolor piece, Déliance, is a deep exploration of connection and separation, part of her broader series, Liance-Déliance-Reliance. These works reflect her thoughts on humanity’s desire to reconnect with something lost—a paradise, a bond, or a forgotten sense of wholeness. This theme of rupture and restoration underpins Déliance, presenting a layered narrative about our inner and outer worlds.
In Déliance, Richard-Keller begins with lines—simple yet deliberate. These lines are her way of expressing time, the individual within the collective, and the fleeting presence that edges toward absence. The marks she creates are not rigid; they flow, intersect, and veer into unexpected directions. Through these lines, she crafts a landscape of parallel universes, hinting at the mystery and incompleteness of existence.
Her abstract style makes Déliance less about what the viewer sees and more about what they feel. The painting doesn’t dictate its meaning; it invites interpretation. The delicate balance between structured lines and spontaneous color washes mirrors the theme of rupture (déliance) and reconnection (reliance). It’s as if the painting itself is trying to bridge a gap, inviting viewers to search for their own emotional resonance.
Richard-Keller describes Déliance as an “inner journey,” and that’s evident in its layered composition. There’s a sense of depth in the interplay between opaque and translucent areas, where colors overlap and bleed into each other, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. These overlapping layers seem to echo the complexity of memory and emotion—how moments in life overlap, fade, and resurface unexpectedly.
Her choice of color is subtle yet evocative. Soft blues and greens create a sense of calm and distance, while warmer tones like ochres and muted reds add hints of vitality and longing. The contrasts between light and dark areas suggest both clarity and ambiguity, a balance that reinforces the theme of searching for something elusive.
The act of painting lines, for Richard-Keller, is a meditation on time itself. Lines stretch across the paper, creating a rhythm that feels almost musical. They remind the viewer of life’s continuity, even amidst separation and loss. But they’re not perfect or uniform. Some lines fade, others abruptly end, leaving behind traces of their journey. These imperfections ground the piece, making it feel alive and human.
What sets Déliance apart is Richard-Keller’s ability to balance spontaneity with intentionality. The lines are methodical, but the surrounding washes of color feel entirely organic, almost as if they’ve found their place by accident. This interplay reflects her philosophy of painting as a dance—a collaboration between her conscious choices and the unpredictability of watercolor.
The process begins without a plan. The first mark acts as an invitation, and the painting unfolds from there. Richard-Keller doesn’t try to control the medium; instead, she lets it guide her. Watercolor’s fluidity suits her vision, allowing colors to merge, shapes to emerge, and the unexpected to take center stage.
This approach mirrors life itself. Just as we cannot plan every step of our personal journey, Déliance evolves naturally, finding its form through a mix of intention and chance. This reflects her belief that art, like life, is less about the destination and more about the process of discovery.
Viewing Déliance feels like stepping into a quiet moment of introspection. The painting doesn’t demand answers—it offers a space to reflect. Its abstract nature means it could be a map of emotions, a depiction of memories, or simply an exploration of beauty in the unknown.
For Richard-Keller, the act of creating is deeply personal, yet her work resonates universally. In Déliance, she invites the viewer to join her in a journey of connection and separation, to trace their own lines of memory and emotion. It’s not about finding a definitive meaning but about engaging with the piece in a way that feels authentic and individual.
Through Déliance, Richard-Keller reminds us of the beauty in imperfection and the importance of the spaces between—between lines, colors, and moments. It’s a quiet, meditative work that speaks to the universal human experience of searching for connection in a fragmented world.
