WWAO Featured Artist - Denise M. DesLauriers

As you may know, I am hosting the World Wide Women Artists Online (WWAO) Showcase for May on my website. If you don't know about it, you can check it out here


The second artist I am featuring on my blog is Denis M. DesLauriers. She is a very talented Scratchboard Artist. What's Scratchboard? Well, I'll tell you all about it.

Tulips and Ivy

About the Artist- from her Bio:

"I grew up on a farm in northern North Dakota. There I was surrounded by nature in all her aspects; new life, growing things, and sometimes death. I loved the changing of the seasons. Each one bringing with it, its own experiences and lessons. This closeness and love of nature is what I try to express in my drawings and paintings.

Living in a rural area, gave me little chance for formal art training until I got into college. But this didn't stop me from plaguing my family with my prolific 'artistic creations' from an early age. I was able to take an oil painting class in High School and participate in the International Art Camp at the Peace Gardens in northern North Dakota. These classes opened up a whole new world of expression for me and I wanted more. I spent my first year in college taking several different art and humanities courses, trying to decide which direction to take my art career. An advertising arts course was the wisest choice for me, and after two more years, I earned my bachelor's Degree. During this course, I discovered scratchboard and became fascinated by its possibilities."

Tiger Siesta

"Through the following years, I worked as a freelance as well as a staff artist. I used many different mediums, but scratchboard was my favorite. Eventually, I began specializing in scratchboard and working toward a fine art career.

Over the many years I have worked as a professional artist, my work has appeared in many galleries, art shows, festivals, and fairs; garnering several awards. My work in is private and public collections around the world."

Swan Moon



Kitten Eyes, Too

About Denise M. DesLauriers Scratchboard Art - from her Website;
"Scratchboard is either a stiff paper or board that has been coated with a thin layer (the boards usually have a thicker layer than the paper) of white or colored clay. Ink or paint is applied over the top of the clay either by the artist or the manufacturer. It was originally designed in the 1800's, as a quick and inexpensive alternative to other etching methods for illustrations needed in printing books, newspapers and etc. There are several types and qualities of scratchboard. What a particular artist uses depends on what the purpose of the drawing is (whether for school, fine or commercial applications) or personal preference. I use a heavy weight board that has been coated with white clay and black india ink. It provides the best surface for the fine detailed scratchboard drawings I create."

Hillside Garden

"I start each project with research and a lot of sketching. Once I have the idea worked out, I create a preliminary drawing on tracing vellum. A layer of graphite is applied to the back of this image. The vellum is laid (graphite side down) onto the scratchboard. I then trace over the entire drawing again, creating a light graphite copy on the scratchboard. Most of my work is done with an exacto blade. I work in layers of scratches (dots and lines) across the whole board. Each layer or level of detail adds more 'light' to the drawing. Very small areas can be changed, but correcting larger areas causes too much damage to the surface of the clay. So, if I'm not happy with what I have done, it means starting over. When I am going to be adding color, I use artist's gouache (opaque watercolors) and a small brush. The finished piece is sprayed with a clear latex enamel matte finish."

The Future of Magick

I hope you have enjoyed learning about Denise M. DesLauriers and her scratchboard artwork as much as I have.

Visit her Blog
Her portfolio on Artwanted