Born in Oxfordshire, England, Richard Calver immigrated to Canada when he was nineteen, settling in Quadra, B.C. It was in Quadra that he met renowned printmaker Sybil Andrews, becoming her student at age thirty-five, a turning point in his personal and artistic life. Inspired and encouraged by Andrews, Calver dedicated himself to his art. Under Andrews’ guidance, Calver learned the technique of the linocut, developing his own style.