“Luminance”: The Scratchboard Art of Lori Dunn

August 16th to October 15th, 2023

“Luminance: The Scratchboard Art of Lori Dunn” is a special featured artist exhibit exploring light and contrast in nature through the incredible scratchboard art of Lori Dunn.  The show will be on display from August 16th to October 15th, 2023. Voluntary Admission. Park Permit required.

What is Scratchboard?

Scratchboard is a form of direct engraving on a specially prepared board. The board consists of three layers of material: a hardboard base, a layer of white kaolin clay, and a layer of black ink applied overtop. The image isetched one ‘scratch’ at a time using an extremely fine tool such as a scalpel or Exacto blade. The black ink is removed to reveal the white clay beneath.  It is an unforgiving medium, but the precision of the blade allows for extremely detailed and beautiful images to be created.

To see some new scratchboard works from Lori Dunn, please click HERE.

Artist Biography: Wildlife artist Lori Dunn is quickly becoming one of Canada’s premiere scratchboard artists. Enrolled in painting classes as a child and encouraged throughout school, it was presumed that she would continue to pursue an artistic career. However, with a passion and keen interest in animals, Lori decided to study the sciences. Graduating with a BSc. in Zoology, she entered into a fifteen-year career as a professional zookeeper.

These years of experience gave her a deep appreciation for the need to protect habitats and endangered species. After several years as a zookeeper and naturalist, Dunn resumed her artistic endeavours, finding a way to combine her artistic ability and her desire to conserve nature. Most of her artworks are paired with text serving to educate others on the conservation status of the species and its importance to our environment. Dunn often donates a percentage of the sale of her artwork to various conservation organisations.

As a zookeeper, Dunn worked with a vast array of animals ranging from the smallest invertebrates to large animals like elephants and gorillas. Her special area of interest and knowledge, however, is that of reptiles and amphibians. She continues to educate others on the value of these creatures in our ecosystems and hopes that, through her art, she can break down some of the misconceptions and phobias people have about snakes and other maligned species.