Sister Denise Gauthier, from Alma, had the good
fortune to meet Sister Hélène LeBlanc, professor of drawing on
porcelain, at the Mother House. The text of their conversation will also
be published in the April issue of Dialogue.
What
inspires you to practice this particular art form?
Sister Hélène warmly replies: "It is the urge
to make something out of nothing! Everything that catches my eye - form,
colour, light - awakens within me the wish to paint - but foremost, I must
say that it is the Holy Spirit. Having gifted me in this way, the Spirit
arouses within me the idea of creating a work."
How did you come upon the idea
of drawing on porcelain?
"Sister Thérèse-de-Jésus, of happy memory,
spotted my talent. It was impossible for me to teach any other subject -
my voice was too weak. As I gave courses, I perfected my style; I even
went to the United States. The American technique is not really mine.
However, I learned certain tricks that lent speed to my work." (To
obtain a finished product, there are particular stages which Sister
Hélène explained to me.) "Some are longer, others more demanding;
but all require very special care and precise manipulation."
According to you, is this art
a means of liberating education?
"It is an art requiring a great understanding
of life’s situations and events. A woman in the throes of deep
depression was brought to the course by a friend and thereby recovered her
will to live. As she drew, she freed herself of the sadness caused by the
death of her husband from a heart attack as they returned from their
honeymoon. A second woman, closed in upon
herself, rediscovered beautiful aspects of life and was moved to share
them. It is then that personal and individual contact can allow one to
bring some help. The patience of an angel helps one to stimulate, to
motivate, to restore self-confidence. A certain firmness is also required
so that the art work is done entirely by the students."
After a career spanning 60 years, Sister Hélène
continues to teach interested women. She is happy to transmit an art which
is able to enrich life. At the moment, she is looking for a Sister who
might replace her.
Are you interested?
Denise Gauthier, CND
Alma, Québec
