Suzanne LeBlanc

As an abstract artist, my work combines the composition of the piece with an exploration of the materials and surface that I am working with at that time. I often become lost in the process – experimenting; playing; and leaping from idea to idea.

I frequently find inspiration in the organic, abstract elements of the natural world – but it’s not only nature that inspires my work – sometimes something as simple as a swatch of fabric can be the starting point for a piece.

I currently have two separate obsessions in my studio – alcohol inks and encaustic.

With alcohol inks, I love how they flow, how the colours interact, and how I can influence the ink’s movement. At the same time, I love to experiment with different surfaces, textures, and other media – really trying to push the boundaries of what can be done with inks. The results are vibrant and fresh and evoke the natural world.

When working with inks, I often choose three to six colours and a single surface (YUPO, TerraSkin, metal leaf, board, or whatever I can think of) and play. Each piece helps inspire the next when I am working this way.

I love working with encaustic – an ancient art form which uses a wax-based medium – in part because I can influence the entire process: from making my own encaustic medium through to the finished piece.  I can control the intensity, clarity, richness, and luminosity of the colours and how they interplay.  I also love that encaustic is a 3-D medium that I can shape through carving or with heat

Days where I feel like working with texture or layering find me working on my encaustic pieces – it’s a completely different process from the inks and I love how the media forces me to react differently depending on the results of the wax at each stage. Each piece is layered and each layer is a reaction to what happened with the previous layer.

I also love when I can work with encaustic and ink together – with encaustic forming a wonderful base for ink.

I hope that people are moved by my work the same way that I am.