Interview

Jul 9

Mona LeBlond

Mona was born in Timmins Ontario Canada to French Canadian parents. She has five siblings, one is her twin. Mona attended the French educational system until grade 13. She then studied in Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton where she completed the nurse practitioner program. Mona has been married for 50 years. She has worked in the healthcare system for 37 years as a registered nurse a public health nurse and a nurse practitioner. As a child, she enjoyed doodling and sketching. Her best moments were spent in the wilderness, camping with her family in old abandoned lumber camps - fishing and exploring surrounded by nature at its finest. She began painting at the age of 69. She is now 72. Mona paints every day and most nights, not requiring much sleep producing non-abstracts and abstracts. She completes, on average, one canvas per day. She is very passionate about painting!

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“I am a retired registered nurse working in a medical health system. I was fortunate to work in several fields. I worked with HIV, sexual health, mental health, public health and other fields including the hospital setting. I worked for 37 years. I've been married to Marc for 50 years and have three adult children who work for the federal government in our capital of Canada Ottawa. My husband is a retired teacher, gifted and loved by his students. My journey in the art world may be described as unique as compared to other artists. My neighbor, Patricia, asked me to learn painting with her, by following artists on YouTube once a week. Once started, I could not stop! Within 2 months, I had changed a bedroom into a studio. The artists who I spoke to, recommended that I paint and paint and paint. This, I did very loyally. I was 69 years old. And now, I am 72 years old. I have sold paintings, organized two small exhibitions, I also have several paintings on the internet. You may find my paintings at MoMA New York contemporary art gallery, New York Art Gallery, Russia art gallery, London art gallery and several others online. Master Safa Bute stated, ‘Throughout my life, I have met more artists and seeing works of art that I can remember. However, I have never come across another artist like Mona, who has created professional works in such a short time. I wish Mona who deserved both praise and applause success in her future endeavors.’”

What inspires you?

“Nature inspires me, such as trees, rivers, fields, serenity, my home situated beside a river, the innate desire to grow as an artist, the ever changing seasons of the year, works of other artists and the wind. My friends on Facebook as well as my followers on Facebook - their support, thoughtfulness and encouragement always inspire me. Marc, my husband and the warmth of the sun, the stars in the sky, solitude and the works of local artists with an international reputation.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“Imagination, projection, creativity, beauty, symbiotic relationships, honesty, renewal, experience, hope, femininity, love and mother earth. My all-encompassing theme is that women possess the power to make changes as shown in the inclusion of female figures in clouds, mountains, trees and sunsets.”

How would you describe your work?

“My work is a marriage of nature and imagination. I am guided by my intuitive sense of imagination, starting with colors and shapes until a pattern or scene or feeling reveals itself and only then, do I know where the work is taking me. At this point, I make a decision to go with nature or with an abstract representation. Using modern coloration, movement, angular lines and fixtures, I complete my canvas.”

Which artists influence you most?

“I was always fascinated by the paintings of Lionel Venne, a local artist, with an international reputation. His works express rather than depict his environment. I believe I do the same.”

“My work is a marriage of nature and imagination.”

What is your creative process like?

“Sometimes, it is easy. I choose a color and then that color dictates another color. Unknowingly, I create a domino effect of colors and shapes. I begin to see the movement. I continue with it and make a decision whether to pursue a nature scene or an abstract interpretation. If the result is not what I want or I do not like, I scrap it and restart. The first part becomes my background. I may repeat the process two or three times by adding different movements, changing shapes and colors. If at this point I am still dissatisfied, I put it aside to return to it later. I take a pause to change my mindset, usually by contemplating, meditating, or looking outside the window, observing the wind blowing over the grass, the flowers, the river or the clouds the sky. Nature in its splendor. The scene has become a catalyst to guide me to complete the work on my canvas.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“The artist's role in the arts remains with the canvas itself. He or she reveals himself or herself, knowingly or unknowingly by the choice of colors, forms, lines, movement, the intensity of each or the absence of colors and forms His role is finished; it's the observer that forms a role in society. This person projects or identifies or rejects, remains indifferent, or the opposite - he obsesses. The observer can be a single person or several or a whole audience. The impacts or reaction can be immediate or it can be felt in a month year or years for the artist leaves but his work continues to move or influence.”