Jacinta Leblanc

Jacinta Leblanc is an Ottawa based artist hailing from the Maritimes, working in many different mediums who creates harmonious pieces with both abstract and representational elements. Fascinated by the balance between the chaotic and ordered, and artificial and natural, Jacinta’s work unfolds as a multi-layered exploration of the beautiful and grotesque.

Jacinta’s exceptional performance this season has earned her a spot in the Ottawa City Finals June 12th, where she will compete with 15 other artists to determine who will become the City Champion, and represent Ottawa in the 2015 National Championships this July.

Interview by Nick Hebb

What drew you to Art Battle?
After seeing my friend Dominique compete a few years ago, I immediately fell in love with the passion and energy of the crowd and the strong sense of community between the artists and the attendees.

How much of you prepare what you’ll be painting before you do a battle?
Sometimes I try to jot down a few ideas, but I like to wait till the evening of art battle so that I can feed off the energy of the crowd and wait for my nerves to kick in.

What would it mean to you to compete in the Art Battle National Championships?
It would be the most humbling experience to be part of an event with so many great artists.

Who are your favourite painters?
Trying to answer this question made me realize that most of my favourite artists are not “painters”, but illustrators, sculptors, tattoo artists, and creative artists who work with many different mediums. I love the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat, David Mack, David Altmejd, Takashi Murakami, Volko Merschky and Simone Pfaff. If I had to limit myself to painters, I’d say late 19th to early 20th century Symbolist painters such as Gustave Moreau and Franz von Stuck.

Where can we see more of your work?
You can check out my website at www.artistjleblanc.com or on instagram: artist.j.leblanc and Jay LeBlanc on Facebook.