Ysabel LeMay: Gracia

Ysabel LeMay: Gracia by Aline SmithsonNovember 30, 2014

COSMIC NURSERY In our Universe, the moment of creation is a beautifully violent one, in which the inevitable destruction of one reality gives birth to a bold new one. « Cosmic Nursery » is my way of conveying the unsettling emotions I feel as I push through expectations, trying to break new ground in my artistic journey and in my personal life. The contrast of the delicate, majestic and ethereal landscape with unfamiliar elements, such as paint drips and sparks, create a subtle visual tension that expresses the wonderful apprehension of travelling to the unknown. ©Ysabel LeMay

Ysabel LeMay combines technical graphic art expertise and a passion for painting into a process she calls “Photo-Fusion.” At first glance, the images reflect what could be a hyper-realistic painting. Instead her innovative technique is an intricate progression that begins with taking hundreds of photographs, and digitally attuning their light and visual properties. Then, with her painter’s eye, she assembles one detail at a time, to form a single composition that explores the power and divinity of nature.

Born in Quebec, Ysabel started her career in 1987 as a graphic artist for several prominent advertising agencies before opening her own firm in Vancouver. Seeking greater fulfillment, she began the transition into fine arts, studying painting at the Emily Carr University of Art. In 2002, she left the corporate world of advertising behind, devoting herself to painting full-time. Her commitment provided artistic adventures, with more than 70 exhibitions throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia. In 2010, Ysabel once again refined her artistic path, turning her full attention to photography. In 2011, LeMay was selected the winner of KiptonART Rising Star program in New York. Since then she has exhibited in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. Ysabel LeMay is presently living and working in Austin, Texas. She calls her artistic journey, “Journey into Simplicity.”

INSPIRATION I’ve always found it quite revealing that, in the English language – as well as in my native French – the word « Inspiration » has two distinct meanings, both of which refer to vital needs of the artist. Breathing and Creating. Under the watchful eyes of our serious little cardinals, nature is taking a breath of Life, inspiration is happening, exploding with light, chaos and soul. It is the moment of grace, when we glance through the physical and material world, the essence of creation. ©Ysabel LeMay

NIGHT LIFE This must be a very special Saturday Night for nature to be celebrating so exuberantly! Wild fairy candles burst out of the shadows in joyous, glittering shoots, scarlet firespikes and foxtail amaranths dance languorously in the nightly breeze. But someone really is the star of this night, impertinent and gorgeous, with immaculate white plumage, shamelessly showing off. This festive energy must be contagious, as I felt compelled to join in the party and explore the midnight hours of my visual world. ©Ysabel LeMay

WANDER Since I was a little girl, I have always trusted nature to help me deal with my worries, in a peaceful and transformative way. It is as if I have spontaneously been using the landscape to modulate and tune my inner landscape. Even now, almost daily, in the late afternoon, I find myself on the shore of a beautiful lake near Austin, letting my consciousness freely wander away from me for a moment, while the birds quietly pack up after their day’s work. I find myself… I wanted this piece to open up into many worlds, luminous and inviting. In the scintillating reflections at the surface of a lake, an infinity of possibilities. ©Ysabel LeMay