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I am not a formally trained artist and so must rely on the natural artist in myself to produce something close to what I would like to represent/convey, relying on a bit of courage, creativity and confidence. Dream, Hope, Believe, Trust comes into play again here. (listen)

With photography it may take about 100 shots for some to produce the perfect shot but I don’t have this luxury when it comes to producing artwork (nor do I have the patience!) What I do have though is a penchant for risk – art gives me a safe outlet for this need to experiment and take a chance.

The results can be super thrilling or equally flat but either way there is a strong emotional pull that keeps me pumped :). I wanted/needed to take the photos to another level of interpretation. The photos themselves dictated where they came from and I needed to dictate where they were going.

Never have I experienced the rush of adrenaline more than when I was working directly on a photograph. Each image was printed on Kodak paper at a significant cost so I gave myself only one shot to get it right. All of the images here are 12 by 18 inches. I wasn’t going to accept normal from myself – it wasn’t an option!

I let each one ‘sit’ for a few days as I contemplated what I wanted to do to make my point and create a unique piece, allowing it speak to me and then taking the plunge. The photos on this post are from China. I will post separately with those from Turkey. In total I think I completed 14-16 unique representations. 

When Sebastien Assoignons and I discussed using his photos as a canvas he was clear that carte blanche was the only avenue, in other words it was entirely up to me. I felt a little intimidated by these photos as they spoke to me but in foreign tongue as I had no idea how to ‘beautify’ them by perhaps painting colour into them as I had seen on the streets of Old Montreal. To me they were already perfect. How could I advance perfection? Who was I to attempt that? 

That’s where the Rush came in and hit me. I had a blast and was totally enveloped into the meaning of the photo (without asking Sebastien) and the statement I felt each photo was making to me.  These are the results. I hope to inspire all the would-be artists to experiment and try for the next level – take chances and enjoy the feeling of creation. Sincerely Lesley 

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