Sylvie Lauzon is an abstract, mixed-media artist born in 1960 in the Laurentian just few kilometers north on Montreal, Canada. She is now based Montreal where she practices her art for the last 5 years. She is a self taught artist, she attended many workshops to speed up and further develop her process and practice.
Tell us your story, why did you become an artist?
I probably don’t have a very classic artist path. In fact up to four years ago, never I thought I was going to be an artist. Even calling myself an artist is a bit of a stretch for me. My artistic journey started 5 years ago when i started to do watercolor as a hobby. I then took some figurative drawing classes and it became clear i wanted to express something else. This is where I switched to mixed media and abstract work. The hobby became a passion and a quasi full time practice. Being relatively new to this world, I had to invest a lot of hours in experimenting and attending workshops. I am so grateful for the community I found, lots of support and friendships arrose as i developed my skills.
When you create a new work, how do you go about it? What comes first?
Most of the time I start with no specific intent, as I work the intent of what the work will be about will emerge throughout the process. My energy comes from the world around me, but I draw my inspiration from experimentation and my previous work which in turn nourish and inform my current work. I work intuitively without a predefined plan, reactively responding to the present moment, where each mark, brushstroke inspires another. Collage is almost present in each of my work, it is often a turning point in a piece, especially when I am stuck, a piece of collage can bring me in a different direction.
What can you tell us about your studio, what makes it special to you and how does it influence the way you work?
My studio is in my home, it is rather small, with a beautiful light and view. Having my studio in my home influences a lot the way I work. I try to work everyday, but always try to stop when my I am still « fresh ». I know I can pause and come back in an hour to have a new look at my work. So « little and often » is my moto. The size of my studio also influences my work, large scale work is not possible and paper is my goto substrate as it does not require a lot of storing space. I may eventually opt for a larger studio outside, but at this moment, I am happy with my home studio.
Is there a work of art in your life that has especially impressed you?
I am impressed by freedom in other’s work, artists that broke the « established rules ». This is one of the reasons i particularly like hearing about artists process, see how they develop their work. Being relatively new to art, I observed that my own taste have changed in the last few years. I try to keep my mind open and to stay curious for different types of art, however my heart is definitively towards abstract or semi abstract work.
Reach to the stars: where will you be in 5 years?
I am happy not knowing the answer to this question, as it gives me an opportunity to stay free and not too much focus on a particular plan. Of course I have aspiration to grow my practice, expend my knowledge, develop further my own voice. I would love to also expend my reach to the external world with a specific focus to local market. I am not sure what shape and form this will take now. 
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