Block Printing The West Coast

Block Printing The West Coast:

An Interview With Ucluelet Artist Allison Tremain

Text and photography by Valerie Luquette

"Spawning Salmon", Allison Tremain

 Allison Tremain, originally from Ontario, is a Ucluelet based printmaker known for her hand-pulled linocut prints and her involvement with non-profit societies such as the Clayoquot biosphere trust or the Wild Pacific trail. Inspired by the fauna and the flora of Vancouver Island’s West Coast, all of Allison’s artwork derives from her personal experiences. Translating with ink onto paper the beauty found in the landscape surrounding her, Allison’s artwork focuses on the representation of iconic animals of the area, such as whales, salmons, sea lions and birds; as well as the more subtle beauty living in the fine little details of nature.

Captivated by her work, I wanted to know more about the artist and what makes her prints so unique. So, on one rainy day in December, I visited Allison in her 225 square foot studio to ask her a few questions about her work.

 Her Work

To learn a new art technique, in 1998, Allison attended a printmaking workshop in Campbell River. This is when she realized all the potential inherent to this medium and all the possibilities that would open to her by exploring them. Right there and then, she loved working with a tool that was not a pencil or a paintbrush and how the carving tool allowed her to bring a certain amount of energy into her artwork. Even before becoming a printmaker, Allison had been painting for many years, using a palette knife instead of a paintbrush to do so. Influenced by the impressionists and great printmaker Sybil Andrews, Allison put her head down and developed her own style while always pushing herself out of her comfort zone. Over the years, she developed a personal signature, nature inspired prints characterized by their unique color palette. Often working with complementary colors and the contrast between a warm and a cold color palette; Allison frequently adds metallic ink to her artwork, on their own or mixed with another color, for the iridescence it brings to her prints.

To create her prints, Allison always works with a visual reference, usually a photograph she took, and carves the image into a soft rubber pad before applying the wet ink to its surface and transferring it onto paper. For some artists, the printmaking process involves producing an individual block or pad for each color wanted in their multicolored print and inking, in a particular sequence, each block to produce the entire image. This allows them to print their image as many times as they want. Whereas, Allison carves away each color (usually 4-6 colors) in succession from one single rubber pad printing one color at the time between each carving. The image then slowly emerges while the actual block is destroyed. And because of this technique, called reduction printing, once she has completed the pre-determined number of prints she wants in her edition, she cannot reprint the image anymore. “It’s done and it can’t be redone” and because each print is hand-made, each one is unique.

"Barnacles And Mussels", Allison Tremain

From Science to Art

Having studied Earth and Oceans science in university, Allison worked for over 10 years as a scientist in research and as a consultant for universities, federal and provincial governments as well as the private sector. During this period of her life, her main focus was the scientific study of water, rocks and soil. Knowing this, I asked Allison how her scientific background influences her artistic life. She explained to me how after 5 years of university, she got the answers to her questions and no mystery was left behind. And because she focused, during those years, on the non-living, the fauna and the flora now fascinate her and inspire her to create. “Everything is new and exciting!” says the artist.

Combined, education and work, Allison spent 14 years in the science field but told me how she did not like where things were going and how it made her feel. When I asked her what gave her the final push she needed to dive into the arts, Allison explained to me how moving here, to Ucluelet, was decisive for her. “Two things were really important in my life in 2010. First, I wanted to love where I lived and I wanted to identify with the landscape surrounding me. In a way, I think that’s what we are all seeking. The second priority was being self-employed, so I gave myself the opportunity to [become a full time artist and dedicate my life to my art.]”

Although her first year, as an independent artist, was very hard, Allison tells me how this decision was liberating for her. Always encouraging people to have a creative life, she realized how in western culture we tend to separate art from life. This is especially true for someone coming from science, where everything has to be categorized and labelled. However, beauty and art are vital features of life and Allison expressed during our interview how much she now appreciates a life-style where the line between art and life is blurred and where they merge together.

With this perspective, Allison will soon begin a new art project. Celebrating Canada’s landscape and diversity, she will be, during the summer of 2016, driving from coast to coast to create a new series of work called Canadiana. With this new series, the artist want’s to create iconic images representing Canada, images showing a different perspective on our landscape and culture and that most Canadians will be able to identify with.

Be sure to come to the gallery to view her new work and to follow her “Go fund me” campaign in the coming year!

http://www.allisontremain.com/

http://www.reflectingspirit.ca/artists/allison-tremain