From Adversity to Artistic Success
Quebec-born Napa Valley painter Thérèse Légère discusses her idyllic upbringing, challenges, artistic style, and outlook on life.
Where did you grow up? Did you always want to get into art?
As a child, I lived in a neighborhood south of Montreal within the beautiful Richelieu Valley. The region was a stimulating place to grow up and has inspired many Quebec artists, though I was initially more of a dancer, having done ballet from age five. My earliest memory of being interested in art was making intricate 18″ by 24″ drawings of the Peanuts gang.
I later completed an extensive two-year college fine arts program. However, it had taken me three tries to be accepted to a college, so from the get-go, I had some mountains to climb. And as great as my years there were, I also experienced negativity—primarily hearing from others that it was difficult to make a living as a painter, especially for women. As a result, I decided that I wasn’t going to even try that after graduating. Since I enjoyed weaving as well (and my grandmother was a weaver), I instead threw myself into all things fiber for a decade and kept painting and drawing on the side. I still weave, though, in addition to being a painter.
You mentioned challenges. What others have you faced?
Seven years ago, I was involved in a bad car accident. I sustained a brain injury, had to stay home for months, and couldn’t drive. It took me a while to heal, but I’m better now. I obviously wish the accident hadn’t happened, but I’m grateful for the time and energy it forced me to put into my art—I did hundreds of acrylic paintings on paper. All in all, I’ve learned from my challenges and gotten stronger through them.
Nature clearly inspires you. Would you elaborate on its importance?
Nature has always been part of my life because of my environment. It has continually been a place to quietly contemplate, whether I was living in Canada or Massachusetts or here in Napa Valley with its abundant sunshine and greenery. Nature is a nurturing, beautiful entity, and that’s why I’ve featured it so much.
How did you create your defined impressionism style?
One day, I started looking at the lower left part of a painting I was working on and wondered how a stained-glass effect would look. So I gave it a shot by highlighting certain brushstrokes, and that style ended up being what I’m known for today. And it all happened because I was inquisitive enough to ask, “Where else can this go?”
How is your life reflected in your art?
In many ways! For example, my husband, Norman, is an award-winning recording engineer, so our home is filled with artistry. He is also genuinely a partner in my career, inspires me, and has even written a song based on one of my paintings.
I’ve experienced a lot of personal growth, too, whether it was spiritual, emotional, mental, or therapeutic; my development is a thread that runs through my art. So many times, the brain makes you second-guess yourself, such as “I shouldn’t use that color there.” But I no longer do that—I just let things flow, experiment, and stay curious. Eventually, something exciting emerges.
Overall, I’ve had a bit of an uncommon life. Because of my accident, I essentially lost five years of it in some ways, so I’m always in catch-up mode with a mindset of every day being a gift. I’m sixty-seven, an age when many people are retired, yet I feel like I’m just getting going.
For more info, visit legereart.com