Laurence Marie Bilodeau is an artist that lives in the Northwest territories. And she’s also the daughter of an artist. Growing up, art was always a part of her life, but it wasn’t until she was in high school and she realized, this is what she wanted her career to be.
“You know, when you go to high school, you have more substantial art class. Like it’s more into projects. I just saw that I was successful there more than in French or mathematics. It was something more natural to me and also where I’ve gained more pleasure and satisfaction. So I think it’s really in the teenage year. And also when my mom took me up to art shows and other things, not just earth, but others. Um, I really like the Ambiance. I really like the synergy of meeting. Um, you know, people to come to look at art and experience aesthetic colors and picture from personal experience.
In the Northwest territories, inspiration can come from anywhere and lore finds. It comes easiest to her when she’s outside experiencing nature.
Just need to do a little drive out to be in so close to what is considered, why, if you go down south, you know, you know where bear can come, you know, where Fox can pass, you are in that environment, then that you get and be in sync with nature.For me, that’s the most, uh, inspiring part because I need that to feel good for my well being. I need that to produce art that is uplifting
Before Laurence even starts working on a painting. She finds, it helps her creative process to do some peace meditation.
When I go in a meditative state, I find I’m in a place where I can find project that are more on the unseen side, but more on the cell side. Instead of just drawing a owl the way I will look, I. Paint out the way it feels to me. That’s what meditation brings to my art and sometime my idea for project. I mean, most time they come to me during meditation, because I wanna do that piece. I gonna channel that uplift feeling. I really care about using all the color in the spectrum. I know there’s so much injustice in the world and we could do art that talk about isolation. Mental illness. But my choice is to do art that when somebody look at, oh, they’re gonna feel good or at peace or some joy.
Laurence says that creating art can be really healing. And that, that aspect is the most rewarding part of the artistic process.
Sometime I would be drawing and painting and as I’m for on colors and just on shape and form, I’m not thinking about problem. I’m not thinking about the way the world is, or even that, you know, altercation that. Maybe lesser good that I had on the street. I am just thinking about what is beautiful. And this is so aimed, because you’re giving your old, uh, life expanded time of peace, where you’re just focusing on what is maybe for me more meaningful, right? This life is so fast. Life is so is pushing us around in so many direction. And I think it’s that peace that I’m finding it’s stillness suspension is in beauty and in the simple joy.”-Laurence Marie Bilodeau Local Artist
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