Loralie Clemmensen
AOCAD
Inspired by the great Japanese prints and the landscape in which I live, I strive to capture the fleeting effects of light, shape and shadow in my prints.
The rural Ontario Landscape is my subject, expressed through the technique of linocut relief printmaking. I am drawn by the effects which result from the relationship between man and nature. While this relationship is generally perceived to be negative, the landscape we see around us, whether it is urban, rural, or so-called wilderness, is always a creation of the combined influences of man and nature. This inevitable interaction need not always be a negative and, in fact, can result in great beauty.
These works on paper are created using a reduction linocut relief technique. A single linoleum plate is used throughout the process and successive layers are carved into the plate reducing the surface area each time. The plate is then inked using a roller and printed by hand on a press. A method of exact registration allows the paper to fall onto the plate in exactly the same position each time a new layer of colour is printed.
Reduction printing is an exhilarating technique in that there is no going back to correct a mistake. While there is always the risk of failure, I enjoy the challenge of “thinking backwards“ and incorporating the unexpected results that appear with every new layer.
Born in Toronto, I grew up in Richvale, Ontario, a rural suburb north of the city. After high school I completed the foundation year at Ontario College of Art (as it was called then). After raising my family I returned to OCAD as a part-time student and graduated with honours in 1995.
I live in the countryside west of Tottenham, Ontario where I find my inspiration and work in my home studio.