Today we’d like to introduce you to Abigail Rorer.
Abigail, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Drawing is my passion and printmaking is my preferred medium, beginning with etching and now concentrating solely on wood engraving and relief engraving. Early on, along with etchings, I was illustrating numerous books with pen & ink drawings. Many of these books were focused on nature and a few won prestigious awards in their fields. In 1989 I founded The Lone Oak Press to publish limited edition, fine press books and broadsides featuring my own work. I choose the text, set the type one letter at a time, print the text and the images on my Vandercook #4 press, and contract out to have the books hand-bound. This is my main focus at this time.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am working with relief engraving and have taken up the art of Silverpoint in the last four years or so as well. I originally did my engravings on boxwood but have discovered a synthetic material called Corian which engraves just as beautifully as a fine boxwood block but is a fraction of the cost. I have sheets of Corian mounted on MDF fiberboard which brings it very close to type high. A block and type needs to be .918 high to be able to be printed on my letterpress. In recent years I have begun experimenting with multi-block color printing and incorporating reduction printing as well. Most of my engravings are illustrations for my fine press books although I will occasionally do a one off and have frequently done commissioned engravings for other fine press publishers. My Silverpoint drawings began with a long fascination with the art of drawing with silver which goes back to the time of Durer and DaVinci. I was fortunate to finally meet someone who practices the art and who showed me the technique. It takes drawing to its highest levels in terms of detail and quality of line. I essentially do Silverpoint drawing for relaxation and a break from engraving tools.
Nature is the inspiration for my work, probably stemming from all those years illustrating books on nature and field guides and an innate passion for the natural world. My home is surrounded by gardens, fields, and woods.
What responsibility, if any, do you think artists have to use their art to help alleviate problems faced by others? Has your art been affected by issues you’ve concerned about?
This is a tough one. The world is surely at a chaotic and dangerous time at the moment and, environmentally, for the long term. My latest book will be focusing on extinction and the role that humans have played in this latest mass extinction called the ‘Anthropocene Epoch’. It’s all very depressing and seemingly hopeless.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
My work can be seen and purchased through my website www.theloneoakpress.com. I am also an elected member of the Society of Wood Engravers in the UK. Some of my work can be seen on their website www.woodengravers.co.uk and I also participate in their annual traveling exhibition. In the US I am a member of the Wood Engraver’s Network, www.woodengravers.org, and participate in their traveling exhibition as well. I also regularly participate in Fine Press Book fairs in Oxford, England; Berkeley, California; Old New Castle, Delaware; and New York City along with other venues and gallery shows.
Contact Info:
- Address: Abigail Rorer
16 Oliver Street
Petersham, Massachusetts 01366 - Website: www.theloneoakpress.com
- Phone: 978-724-6672
- Email: loneoakpr49@earthlink.net
Image Credit:
Abigail Rorer
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