Alexandra Levasseur: One Drawing a Day

Alexandra Levasseur

Let Me Sleep, acrylic & colored pencils on paper, 14x11"

Alexandra Levasseur, who lives and works in Quebec, challenged herself to a "therapeutic investigation" by completing one drawing a day from 2011 - 2012. The final project consists of 35 pieces, each 11x14", each made with acrylic painting and colored pencils on paper.

"My objective is to explore the spontaneity and inspiration that every morning gives me, either by environmental or emotional circumstances - states of mind, energy, desires, etc." Because this project began in the fall, Levasseur found herself gravitating towards the impressions and perceptions she finds of autumn and winter in Quebec: the increasing tendency toward hibernation and laziness is a common phenomenon and mood during the dark and cold months.


This need for comfort and warmth is illustrated through the physical comfort of the blankets, pillows, and wool clothes that surround her figures.

Winter Bed, acrylic & colored pencils on paper, 14x11"

 In contrast, the walls and coverings often feature flowers and bright colors, elements of spring in which the figure can hide.

Couverture, acrylic & colored pencils on paper, 11x14"

Levasseur's figures encapsulate the difficulty of waking and getting up, the tendency to oversleep, the anxiety, the irritability that comes hand in hand with the cold and the dark winter. Whether these figures are still in bed or are going about their day, these feelings linger.

In her statement, written before the final completion of the project, Levasseur states that she hopes to bring the "diary of seasonal emotional transmutations" through to the spring and summer as the irritability and anxiety of winter disappears.

Not only does this subject matter pertain to my own experiences, but also I find myself drawn to these pieces in general. What I really seem to respond to is the obvious marriage of illustration as an art form and the overt need for telling a story. Each piece does tell its own story. Levasseur's style in general seems to include the fragmentation of the form itself apparent in the samples shown here; I think this only adds to the narrative aspect of these pieces. It sets up a continuous narrative of sorts. At the very least, it establishes movement through the piece, further adding to the anxiety and the irritability she discusses.