Lucy Cleek
Lucy Cleek
Website: lucycleek.com
Instagram: @keelc_ycul
Bio: Lucy Cleek is an artist living in East Tennessee. She works mostly in printmaking and drawing. After graduating from Maryville College in 2012, Lucy has sought out opportunities for continued learning and has studied at Penland School of Craft in North Carolina several times. She has been a resident artist at Studio 212 in Maryville, Tennessee since 2017. Lucy is an avid animal lover and birdwatcher. She often depicts animals in her work and loves taking on pet portrait commissions.
Artist Statement:I work mainly in printmaking and drawing. I’ve been an avid animal lover my entire life. I often depict critters I’ve become enamored with as a way to learn more about them. I like to research the life cycle and habitats of the animals I depict. I enjoy finding out weird quirks different species have and fun facts about them. My hope is that I can share the beauty I see in the natural world, even if the subject isn’t one people would normally consider attractive or worthy. Gastropods continue to be a source of wonder and inspiration for me. The more time I’ve spent in nature in recent years has rekindled a childhood love for birds. I have been learning more about identifying them and they have made their way into some prints. I love bright colors and how they can be used to evoke happy emotions. That being said, in recent years I have attempted to make more single color prints as a challenge to myself to not rely so heavily on color. I mainly create linocuts, except the times I have access to lithography equipment. Linoleum allows me to use color reductively, or create single color prints in a way that feels more natural to me than drawing. I believe everyone should be able to have art in their homes and printmaking also allows me to create affordable art.