Northern Lake

Northern Lake.

Linocut, reduction print.

30cm x 45.5cm. 2012.

As part of a trade, I was asked several weeks ago to do a smaller, black and white landscape, preferrably of a Northern Canadian lake. A agreed to this somewhat reluctantly, because I felt this work was diverging a bit from what I am currently interested in, but then I saw this as an opportunity to try something new and free myself from my current routines. I decided to make this piece as a linocut, since I haven't worked with linoleum for a while and I always enjoy the carving when I get to it. Secondly, linoleum lends itself so wonderfully for carving water patterns. After a first proof, I decided to make this piece into a reduction print (i.e. printing the plate at one stage, then carving away more surface and printing a second layer over the first). The reflections where too stark in black and white, so I printed the first layer in grey. I'm quite happy how that turned out. The lake was inspired by one near Minaki in Ontario where I went canoing one summer with my family. While brainstorming for this piece, I came across the work of an Australian printmaker (Anita Laurence), who's work I find is in many ways surprisingly similar to mine in terms of structure and imagery. It amazes me how two people from different sides of the world, with completely different backgrounds end up making images that somehow resemble each other.