LORI DUNN SCRATCHBOARD ART
promoting conservation through artistic efforts
Sharpening Stone
18 x 24
SOLD
In order to subdue prey, wild felines need to sharpen their claws on rough surfaces. The claw grows from the inside out in layers and the outer sheath occasionally pulls off during this behavior, presenting a new perfectly sharp fresh claw underneath. The extended claws in the pose of this Canada lynx had me thinking of rock, cracks in the rock, and thus lots of cross hatching ensued. Normally my cross hatching is very tight, but I decided to keep things loose with this one, the dark, lost edges showing crude hatches, and becoming finer as they approach the main subject. To challenge myself I didn't use a reference photo for the rock. It evolved gradually as I worked. Compositionally the goal was to have the light and the enigmatic gaze on this animal draw you in on the diagonal. I hope it was successful!
