behind the scenes with artist Jessa Gilbert

rennie's Artist Program was created to celebrate local artists while recognizing significant cultural moments throughout the year. This Remembrance Day, we engaged Squamish artist and Burton-sponsored snowboarder Jessa Gilbert to create an original animated work to serve as a moment of silence and an opportunity to reflect. She generously carved out time in her schedule for an interview with us before she departed on an adventure to Antarctica. Keep reading to learn more about Jessa's professional background, how her love of nature is integral to her artistic practice, and what inspired the work she created for rennie. 


Jesse Dawson photo: Whistler, BC

1. Where did you grow up? Did it influence your artistic style?
I grew up in a small town in Upstate New York called Red Hook. It was rural and spread out, which I hated growing up, but it was also a short train ride to New York City. I see more influence from where I grew up in my personal life than in the artwork itself. The proximity to NYC was such a gift, though. There's so much going on there - art, fashion, food, culture, grime, history, etc. I am grateful that I could access simple living and a major city's hustle and bustle.


2. You're a professional snowboarder. How do your snowboarding and art intersect? Do they? 
They're fully enmeshed, which didn't happen until relocating from Vermont to Vancouver. I tried to keep my art focus separate from my adventurous pursuits for a long time. When I moved to Canada, I was fresh off a knee replacement and was looking for an outlet to feel grounded. I started taking my sketchbook into the new-to-me terrain and documenting where I was. That simple act spun into a new direction for my artwork, aiming to capture and celebrate how it feels to spend time outside. Play is a huge part of the process, and snowboarding has allowed me to travel into the wilderness and all over the world… sketchbook is always nearby. 


3. You created an animated digital piece for us– is this your typical medium? What are you known for?
I'm starting to work more in a digital environment to make the artwork translatable to functional products and different applications. I think it's important to recognize artwork isn't just in galleries and hanging on walls. I'm trying to remain adaptable within my mediums, and translating the line work to digital format has felt relatively seamless. I created the artwork for rennie with the single-line drawing technique, where the artwork is created with one line and one continuous motion. All my artwork is created from this method, and it is a defining feature of my work. Whether the artwork remains just the line drawing or serves as the foundation for something more elaborate, the continuous, connective thread is there. I love the method - it allows me to loosen up and get out of my own way. In addition, I love the underlying construct - everything IS connected. When we apply that thinking to our outside world, that we and our world are all connected, we may become better stewards of the environment and our communities.


4. What is a #getoutoftownvibe?
The #getoutoftownvibe series began years ago while I worked for MEC in a Monday through Friday desk job. I was hungry for adventure; by mid-afternoon every Friday, I was ready to bolt from my chair. In addition to the M-F schedule, I was somewhat stuck in Canada on Implied Status awaiting my Permanent Residency, which meant I couldn't leave the country and was waiting with bated breath for either approval or a request to leave immediately. I was determined to see and experience as much Canada as possible during that time, thinking any day might be my last day. I said yes to every adventure, and every weekend I created a drawing or painting from an adventure. I took a photo of my sketchbook and made the hashtag #getoutoftownvibe to keep them in an album of sorts. I called it the #getoutoftownvibe series because that was my major mindset during that time - get me the heck out of town and onto an adventure. It's grown, changed, and developed over time, but the main thread is connecting to the adventure through artwork to capture the experience.


5. Walk us through your creative process for your Remembrance Day artwork– what emotions does it evoke?
I believe in the importance of beauty and awe to inspire change and create joyful people. That being said, the reasons for Remembrance Day aren't necessarily joyful. These holidays can create a real dichotomy between positive and negative, yet they're important to reflect upon and grow from. That word, specifically, grow, stuck out to me as an element to explore in this drawing. I wanted to create the piece in the single-line technique, nodding to the idea that we are connected to all parts of this experience while also making the poppy and symbol for Remembrance Day recognizable. Simplicity is important here, as I wanted the piece to be able to feel intentional without creating too much complexity. The simplicity of the artwork is meant to allow some space to breathe, and building the artwork from beginning to end is intended to bring us to a meaningful pause. To reflect upon the past in its many forms and be the optimism of growth. 


6. Where can we find you on social media? What mountain will you be frequenting this winter?
I can be found on Instagram @jessagilbert, Facebook @jessagilbertart, and my website www.jessagilbert.com. I'll be all over this winter, guiding and riding, starting with an expedition to Antarctica this month! I'll be split-boarding, guiding, and creating art around the experience that will become a film–a big project for me– and I'm excited to share the process. Besides that, I'll be guiding at Baldface Lodge, Whitecap Alpine, in Rogers Pass, and riding just for the heck of it around Whistler. 

rennie life

For this Lunar New Year, we collaborated with Marlene to create an original work to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

rennie life

From our home to yours, we wish our family and friends a happy holiday filled with warmth and good cheer.