Bridget Tremblay

Year of birth: 1984.
Where do you live: Ontario, Canada.
Your education: Bachelor of Arts, Laurentian University and Bachelor of Education, Lakehead University.
Describe your art in three words: Raw, Emotional and Personal.
Your discipline: Teacher of the Blind and Partially Sighted.
brigidtee.ca | Instagram

Can you tell us about your journey as an artist? How did you start, and what inspired you to focus on visual art?

I have always enjoyed creating art. My mother is very artistic, and I grew up watching her create art. She also always had colourful and unique works of art up on the walls at home, so visual art was something that has always been a part of my life, it just feels natural to me.

During the Covid Pandemic, when we were all at home, suddenly I was trapped in the house, like everyone else, and I realized that I now had more time to pick up the paintbrush. I have never been very good at expressing my emotions verbally, and so I started to use my art as a way of expressing and dealing with my emotions and feelings.

How did growing up in Northern Ontario influence your artistic style and themes?

Northern Ontario is a very beautiful place. I grew up surrounded by nature, large bodies of water and trees. I think the bold colours of the different seasons in Ontario really influences my work. I often use bold colours in my paintings.

Your work is described as deeply personal and emotional. Can you elaborate on how you channel your emotions into your art?

As I stated earlier, I often have a difficult time expressing myself verbally, and so I started expressing myself through my art. I often start a painting with an emotion or feeling that I want to get across, choose the colours and the pose of the body that I think best express the emotion and go from there. I have a tendency to start a painting and keep working on it straight through until it is finished (when possible) so that way I don’t lose the feeling or emotion that I am trying to get across. I can truly say, that when I create a painting, I am leaving a piece of myself on the canvas. When you look at one of my pieces, you are seeing my thoughts and emotions on the canvas.

Bridget Tremblay | Power

How has becoming a mother influenced your artwork and artistic perspective?

When I was in my early 30’s my husband and I were told that we wouldn’t be able to have children, we were heartbroken. Then, all of a sudden, I was 39 and we found out that I was pregnant, it was a truly joyous time. After I had my son, I moved from painting to pencil drawings, simply because I suddenly didn’t have the time to set up and complete a painting, but I would have a few minutes here and there to scribble with a pencil. I remember being so exhausted after giving birth, and recovering from a C-Section, while caring for a newborn, and thinking to myself that I may never have the time or energy to paint, or draw again. I thought my time as an artist was done, but then my Warrior Women Collection was born, and I wouldn’t have been able to create them, without experiencing the birth of my son.

The series ‘Warrior Women’ reflects the roles and responsibilities placed on women. Can you share more about the inspiration behind this series and what you hope to convey through it?

I had a difficult birth that ended up resulting in a C-Section. It took me quite some time to recover afterwards and during this time I talked and confided in some of my friends that had also had difficult births. Hearing their stories, and the things that they went through, while still ‘showing up’ for their children and their families everyday caused me to start to focus and think about the women in my life and the women around me.

Women have to deal with so many things in life all while they continue to ‘show up’ and carry on. Women have to deal with difficulties getting pregnant, as well as being asked ‘What’s wrong with them?’ if they choose not to have children. Women give birth, somehow bounce back and care for their children and their families. A lot of women also have fulltime careers as well as caring for their families, and they somehow give 100% to everything they are doing all of the time.

I honestly look around at the women in my life, and think, ‘we are all warriors’.

Bridget Tremblay | Queen

What message or feeling do you hope viewers take away from your ‘Warrior Women’ series?

I hope that any woman who views my ‘Warrior Women’ series, feels strength and power and that they feel proud to be a woman.

How do you balance your work as a teacher of the blind and partially sighted with your artistic endeavors?

I worked very hard to get where I am in my career. I love my students and the work that I do. In the past I would focus on my art in the evenings and on the weekends. Right now, I am home with my son while I am on maternity for a short while longer. I am on my son’s schedule right now, and I get my art done here and there when I have the time. Right now I end up stopping and starting projects a lot. When I go back to work, I will be balancing being a mother, working fulltime and my art. I will make it all work, somehow.