ARTIST STATEMENT
Drawing is my primary practice. I often draw on wood panels. I first randomly cover the surface of the panels with variety of media (acrylic inks, gesso and collage material) and then draw on top of that. My drawings are representational but the intuitive nature of the prepared surface often interacts with the image I draw. It can be a literal interaction, like when a random shape in the background becomes a part of the image or it can be a psychological interaction as when a color expresses an emotion. The subjects of my most recent drawings are seemingly discordant objects that can conjure a story. I draw because I believe it “teaches us to pay attention to the small quiet moments, the daily decisions, the seemingly insignificant gestures that make us human.” Drawing slows down the pace of life. It gives me time to think. 

ARTIST BIO
Jean LeCluyse was born and raised in the heart of the Great Plains. The tall grass prairies and majestic Flint Hills located in her native state of Kansas became the foundational inspiration for her art. She earned a BFA in printmaking from the University of Kansas. During the course of her journey as an artist, she worked as a farm laborer detasseling corn and as a cannery worker putting the pork in the pork-n-beans. She followed her interest in printmaking as an apprentice at a lithography workshop. She practiced classical drawing skills during her years as a freelance scientific illustrator. She eventually became a registered nurse, which resulted in many rewarding and inspirational experiences that continue to influence her artwork today. Her most recent accomplishments include having drawings chosen for “Drawing Discourse”, Cooke Gallery, UNC Asheville and “Drawn”, Manifest Gallery, Cincinnati, Ohio. Both are international juried exhibitions of contemporary drawing.