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M
ary Romanuck lives on acreage adja-
cent to a provincial park. The South
Saskatchewan River is about one mile away
and the countryside is idyllic, filled with
rolling hills, wildlife and flowers. "Although
I do not work directly from my environ-
ment, I find that I refer to it constantly,"
she says. Bluffs of trees show up in my
little prints. Last night's sunset colors are
reflected in a fish the next day. My cat's dead
shrew offering is drawn as a Christmas card.
I appreciate the tranquility of the land. It
seems to give me endless energy."
Romanuck's background includes a B.F.A.
degree, after which she received two scholar-
ships to the Banff Centre for the Arts in
Banff, Alberta. While there, she met Gaylen
Hansen, the instructor who left the greatest
impression on her. Many of his suggestions
remain with her yet: Find a color you dis-
like and use it! Or take a long look at your
work--are you just repeating yourself? When
she thinks back to Banff, she remembers
Hansen's ideas as much as the mountains. At
the same time, she says, "It was an incredible
experience, but I realized then that having
been born on the prairies, I missed the hori-
zon line, long hours of summer sunlight, and
the incredible prairie sunsets. I have resided
on the prairies since that time."
Her work is in linocuts, very simple
and straightforward, "I use wood carving
tools to carve the linocuts and my press is a
book binding press with exquisite gold line
embellishments. I enjoy having the multiple
images to play with colors, whether using
watercolors or chine collé." To add texture
to pieces, she frequently embellishes them
with stitches of embroidery cotton, or will
etch the surface with lye, giving it a granular
texture.
Many of her small prints have a humor-
ous aspect to them. Romanuck has been
doing craft markets for many years and nds
people often try too hard to understand
art. "I want them to see what fun an artist
can have, and then, perhaps, they can see
the lighter side. The prints are a delight for
me to produce, and initially when the idea
comes up, I too have a smile."
She enjoys the "intimacy of a small
piece--when framed it is a little object...
and it is often less than an hour from initial
drawing to printing." But she can also
recarve the image again (or again) to get it
right. "When Fish Fish" was carved two
times, with the initial carving ending up as
the nal one.
"I confess," says Romanuck, "I am a
Daniel Smith block printing addict. Before
I used D.S. ink, I did fewer linocuts because
of my exasperation with the ink--mainly
the obliteration of detail, and the dif culty
of printing an edition. These problems are
long since forgotten since my acquaintance
with D.S. ink."
Her favorite paper for linocuts is Hosho.
"It has an incredible infinity for ink and it is
very easy to tear. My other favorite paper is
Stonehenge. I use it for my larger drawings,
book making and watercolors. I appreciate
its durability,
which tolerates
my aggressive
style of draw-
ing."
Her artis-
tic influences
include David
Mine, a Cana-
dian printmaker
and painter.
"His works truly
amaze me--such
sensitivity to line and materials, and knowl-
edge of his subjects. His little etchings are
positively charming and rich." She also
delights in the work of Alexander Calder, a
man who so obviously took great pleasure
in his work and life. Romanuck comments,
"I admire his scale, large or small, and his
bright colors make me smile."
"When Fish Fish," Mary Romanuck, Tinted Linocut, 4" x 4"
Mary Romanuck
From Canada's Broad Prairie Land
what's inside
daniel smith etching & relief ink
daniel smith lithographic ink
daniel smith water-soluble ink
akua monotype & intaglio ink
speedball relief ink
createx monotype ink
charbonnel etching ink
imagon photopolymer lm
baby press
ettan presses
whelan presses--xpress & uber
zinc and copper plates
etching & litho supplies
barens and brayers
cutting tools
safety-kut and linoleum
modi ers and grounds
gilding supplies
dry pigments
CELEBRATING 30 YEARS
printmaking
