Jay LeBlanc is a proponent of serious play who indulges in abstract art of varying kinds. Mostly known for her innovative stained glass hangings, she also experiments with painting, printmaking, mixed media, photography and poetry, along with a recent dabbling in installation. Mostly self-taught, Jay enjoyed a full calendar year at the NS College of Art and Design as a mature student in 1996, and has taken some art workshops in her own community. She is the 2013 winner of the Prix Grand Pré, awarded to Acadian artists showing excellence and innovation in their art.

Serious Play

My art is largely influenced by, and reflective of the natural surroundings of the southwestern Nova Scotia shoreline; specifically the Acadian region of Baie Ste. Marie. As an artist, female, somewhat Anglophone, slightly Francophone, repatriated Acadian, living in “mid-life” where the sea and the stars are so plainly visible, the exploration of themes including archetypal, cultural, and metaphysical is essential. Life affords many wonderful mediums for explorations. Colors and pieces seem to assemble themselves, surprising, as they become a finished form. The process and product provide clues to our existential nature. So I continue my serious play.

how art is currently described and defined by fellow artists

VANS has a broad mandate of education, advocacy and support for individual artists and art in general. I would be a supporting member, because of this, even if I were not an artist. Art is integral to life.  Tucked in at the far southwest corner of the province, the online presence of the newsletter and artist directory are welcome ways of feeling more closely connected to other artists and their activities.  The Visual Arts News magazine is a welcome piece of mail when it  arrives – it is well produced in a digestible format. It is always exciting to see what is going on in the world of art within the province.  These resources allow me to see how art is currently described and defined by fellow artists, which continues to be an ever-changing process.

a discipline of waiting and watching to see what I will do

My work is varied, abstract and innovative, and recognizably distinct. I am compelled by a need for serious play, guided by intuition.  The landscape here “a la baie” is ever changing – from the most calm to the wildest – and so my art reflects that.  The artist network here is astonishing and has been a major influence in a supportive way. It extends well beyond “la baie” to include our neighboring art councils and also connects with artists in other Acadian and francophone regions.  The art process itself is a discipline of waiting and watching to see what I will do. A lot of my time is spent this way before moving and watching myself create in stages, between pauses. The different disciplines I indulge in inform each other. Presently the Nova Scotia Designer Crafts Council retail shows held in Halifax, and previously, the outdoor summer markets in Annapolis and Baie Sainte Marie have been an exercise in direct dialogue with people who are interested in my life and work. Seeing the genuine interest of people first hand has fueled my desire to create and innovate. The NSDCC shows are compactly replete with inspiration from other artists and artisans.

a way of listening to myself, of processing the world.

The general challenge for me is always getting past the idea in my own head that I am crazy. I reassure myself by asking what in the world is sane?  It is a challenge to maintain a practice here due to my own nature, financial concerns, and getting past the urge to run and find a “job.” I meditate a lot and that helps; then I can feel what I need to do next. The calm that comes from that allows me to see what a beautiful life I am in, and relieves some anxiety about what might or might not occur in the future. Art seems to provide the same relief as meditation. It is a way of listening to myself, of processing the world. It is integral to my life. Work that is intuitively led, when successfully complete, feels like a microcosmic example of what is possible in my life in general. The success seems to be accumulative rather than isolated occurrences, and the reward seems to be that my art is a way of connecting with myself and other people. Working through the challenges of creating makes life feel better for me.

rather large kaleidoscopes

At this point in time, I am having fun with a slowly changing installation titled “homing / vol de rentrée / de vuelta“, on the theme of going home, and what that means; both in the literal and in the figurative sense. The gallery: Le Trécarré, at Université Ste. Anne is five minutes away from home by car, which allows me continued access to the installation and some of the reaction to it. The show has allowed me to integrate many of the disciplines I play in, and provided some discourse with my community. In the studio, I continue to expand in styles, and to go more sculptural. I have recently begun to incorporate actual moving parts into the glass hangings, and am making rather large kaleidoscopes. I am also envisioning eventually creating large fused glass pieces. In the community I am envisioning possible art projects to facilitate communication between groups who do not consider themselves artists.