Artist of the Week

Laurence Doyon-Thibeault

Once you have created something and step back and take a look at the results of your creativity and labor, what do you see? What do you call your creation? Each project is an extension the artists personality, their thoughts and their soul. In fact, a painting is essentially the center of the artists soul. A soul that is swimming with images and colors and small lives waiting to be born.

Laurence Doyon-Thibeault is a freelance designer from British Columbia. She has affectionately dubbed each of her creations "Organs of the Soul". These extensions of who she is are lively and whimsical, and the things of children's stories. They are detailed and mostly brightly colored. What sets her work apart is her interest in other cultures mixed with a beautiful innocence.

Recently, Laurence was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): How would you describe your work?
Laurence Doyon-Thibeault (LD): My work is an instant and vibrant emotion I have to put on a piece of paper. It is an extension of what I am. I simply draw what I feel at that moment. I try to capture the essence of a feeling or emotion such as joy, sadness, laughter, etc. But the main purpose of my work is simply to let myself be myself by being a drawer...It's something I feel I have to do somehow.

OA: I love the idea and sound of "organs of the soul". It's like these drawings are the internal workings of who you are. How would you explain that phrase and how did you come up with it?
LD: The organs in our body control or at the very least are essential for the functioning of these bodies. So, when I say that my art is the organs of my soul, I mean to say that my art is essential or a determinate of my spirit. As for how I came up with the phrase "organs of the soul": a couple years ago I was making some drawings (p. 12 on my website) and they somehow reminded me of human cells or blood cells or something. Given that art is the manifestation of one's self, I saw these blood vessels or "organs" as the organs of what I was trying to represent: my interior.

OA: I read that you enjoy children's books. Have you ever considered illustrating or writing your own children's book?
LD: Absolutely. I would love to illustrate children's book. My boyfriend is a writer and we plan to collaborate on a book in the near future. I was really attracted to books when I was a child and I remember spending hours looking at the details and letting my mind wonder. It is still one of the biggest inspirations for me today as an illustrator.

OA: You use such vivid color in your drawings. Why do you think you are drawn to brighter colors? What do you hope these colors will do for people viewing your work?
LD: I think brighter colours comfort me...I often feel safer looking at them and they usually make me more happy. Although the majority of my drawings are black and white, I think multi-coloured art can cover more emotions than black and white can. I hope my drawings, whether black, white, red, or yellow, have an emotional effect on the viewer.

OA: I see you are planning a trip to Thailand in the next two years. Why Thailand? It's hard to project, but do you feel that experience will add to your vision as an artist?
LD: I want to travel through a different country, a different culture, because, I want to in a sense feel lost, if that makes any sense. I want to experience a country whose language I cannot really speak. I feel this is going to push myself and my art in other directions I haven't been before. Moreover, I have chosen Thailand in particular for almost no reason other than something inside me, a thought or an impulse, has told me Thailand. I want to one day see India, Russia, Morocco, Nepal, and many other countries, but for now I feel I am attracted towards Thailand.

OA: What's next for Laurence Doyon-Thibeault?
LD: I am having my first exhibition in April in British Colombia so I am really excited about that. I am also starting to use bigger canvases as a medium. Through my recently established company "Jacky Ink" I want to begin selling cards, T-shirts, illustrations, and jewellery (i am setting up my studio). Finally, I want to in the near future make my art available to buy online through my website and Etsy.

Bonus Questions:
OA: What was the last great book you have read?
LD: Bernard Werber's ''The Empire of the Angel'' is the first book that comes to mind.

OA: What type of music do you enjoy, and who are a few of your favorites?
LD: The Ditty Bobs, Sigur Ros, Radiohead, Jolie Holland, Nellie Mckay, Tchaikovsky, Beirut,
Emily Haines, Fiona Apple, Portishead, Iron and Wine, Jesca Hoop, Po'Girl, Neil Young, The Beatles, and much more...

For more information on Laurence Doyon-Thibeault please visit her website.