Ray Laporte wishes his muse could see herself through his eyes.
Next week Sylvie Gravelle, said muse, and anyone in Sudbury will be able to do just that.
Laporte is a local artist, and Mona Nisa is his most recent work. It was inspired by Gravelle who he met in her role as the receptionist at the Northern Initiative for Social Action (NISA).
“I first realized that Sylvie and Mona Lisa have identical mouths last July,” said Laporte, who saw her every time he visited the organization. “Not long afterward I realized that they also share the exact facial geometry. The more I saw her similarity with Da Vinci’s muse, the more I wanted to paint her.”
NISA is a recovery-driven mental health organization run by and for people with lived experience with mental health challenges. In their roles as mutual peers, Laporte and Gravelle got to know each other, and learn about each other’s struggles.
Their shared history of mental health challenges and a love of art wound up bringing them closer together.
“We've both had bumps in the road, yet we both live full, enriched lives,” said Gravelle. “I also think that mental health challenges can provide a creative edge and a real artistic vision. In my opinion, it's the real, human aspects that can make art so compelling.”
While Laporte struggled with mental health challenges throughout his life, he likes to say he walked away from it all five years ago. He means that literally.
After years of dealing with bipolar disorder, intense ups and downs, a friend recommended he start walking… for eight hours a day.
“You want me to walk eight hours a day?” he asked his friend, who responded, “Well you know Ray, some people work eight hours a day.”
He decided to give it a shot, starting with a couple hours here, and a couple there. Soon enough he’d built up to eight hours.
“Before I knew it, it had been weeks without a hospital visit,” said Laporte. “I was enjoying the sweat, the ice, the snow, the colour of the birch bark. I had walked out of mental illness without an intention.”
Gravelle said she has always struggled with low self esteem, anxiety and depression. Laporte wanted his art to support Gravelle in her own recovery.
“I’m trying to encourage her as a peer… I hope that this project will help her to nurture her self love and acceptance,” said Laporte.
He used a mixture of collage, painting, and mixed media to reflect all of Gravelle’s different sides as he sees them. He describes her as “brilliant, talented, funny, kind, strong and generous.”
Ultimately, seeing herself through Laporte’s eyes has put things in perspective for the muse.
“This whole experience is a good reminder to not concentrate on the negative so much and to be kinder to yourself,” said Gravelle. “Most of the things we tend to obsess about, are never noticed by others.”
If you’d like to see Gravelle through Laporte’s eyes for yourself, you can see the pieces at North Forte Gallery at 112 Durham St. from March 26-29. There will be a reception to conclude the show on the evening of March 29.
