Lori Dunn
Lori Dunn is thrilled to be combining her two interests – animals and art. Enrolling in oil painting classes at an early age and encouraged throughout school, it was presumed that she would continue to pursue an artistic career. With a passion and keen interest in wildlife, however, Lori steered naturally to the sciences. Graduating with a BSc in Zoology, she entered into a 15 year career as a professional zookeeper.
These years of experience gave her a deep appreciation for the need to protect habitat and endangered species. After several years as a keeper, Lori resumed her artistic endeavours finding a way to combine her artistic ability and her desire to conserve nature. Many of her artworks come with a write up on the plight of the species and how the average person can help. As well, she often donates a percentage of the sale of her artwork to various conservation organizations.
As a zookeeper, Lori has worked with a vast array of animals ranging from the tiniest invertebrates to elephants and gorillas. Her special area of interest and knowledge is that of reptiles and amphibians. She continues to educate children and adults on the importance of these creatures in our ecosystem. Choosing to render reptiles and other “underdogs” of the animal world, Lori hopes that through her art she can also break down some of the phobias people have about snakes and other persecuted species.
Working mainly in scratchboard or coloured pencil, Lori finds these media allow her the control over detail that she strives for. She attempts to push the limits of coloured pencil as a medium, often creating images that could be considered paintings and not mere illustrations. Lori has found working with scratchboard very rewarding- not only for the level of detail that can be achieved, but also for the realism and quality of light that is produced.
Lori creates her artworks from Herpworks Wildlife Art Studio at her home near Norwood, Ontario. She enjoys spending her free time hiking, canoeing, photographing wildlife and frolicking with her two beloved Golden retrievers.
SCRATCHBOARD ART
A scratchboard consists of three layers of material. The base is Masonite hardboard that has a layer of white clay applied to it. The clay is then sanded smooth and a layer of black ink is applied over top. The image is etched one “scratch” at a time using an extremely fine tool such as a scalpel blade. The black is etched out to reveal the white clay beneath.
These clayboard engravings are considered by many artists to be one of the most difficult of mediums to master. It takes a very steady hand to maintain the correct pressure required to etch each fine line to a particular depth. Mistakes are not easily corrected – they cannot be erased or painted over!
Many hours are spent on each scratchboard artwork and it may take months to complete. Lori Dunn uses clayboards that are completely archival, of museum quality, and highly resistant to fading from sunlight. Finished works are sprayed with a final fixative to further protect the image.
Scratchboard produces unique works of art with incredible realism and extremely fine detail that is unsurpassed by many other media. The absorbent clay can be coloured afterwards using specialized inks or paints, however, many people prefer the simplicity and beauty of the black and white image.
Lori Dunn has become one of Canada’s premiere scratchboard artists. Her pieces have been exhibited in several museums and galleries throughout the U.S and Canada.
