Interview with Jemma leigh Roe
1. What feelings are you trying to evoke in Blessed Raven?
The idea for Blessed Raven came while hiking and seeing a raven fly directly above me. The sense of simultaneous movement and stillness in the raven’s flight lent a heightened sense of awareness and appreciation of living in the moment. I wanted to capture this almost mystical feeling I had in consonance with the natural world, which seemed so unifying.
2. What are some of the strong “roots” in your life that nourish your creativity?
Solitude, mountains, and the desert have rooted me in a contemplative space that encourages creative work. I find the beauty and silence of nature especially inspiring.
3. If you could ask an artist to paint you (either present or past), who would it be and why?
Probably Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who created such vivid and dramatic portraits in his sculptures and paintings. The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa remains one of my favorite works of art.
The idea for Blessed Raven came while hiking and seeing a raven fly directly above me. The sense of simultaneous movement and stillness in the raven’s flight lent a heightened sense of awareness and appreciation of living in the moment. I wanted to capture this almost mystical feeling I had in consonance with the natural world, which seemed so unifying.
2. What are some of the strong “roots” in your life that nourish your creativity?
Solitude, mountains, and the desert have rooted me in a contemplative space that encourages creative work. I find the beauty and silence of nature especially inspiring.
3. If you could ask an artist to paint you (either present or past), who would it be and why?
Probably Gian Lorenzo Bernini, who created such vivid and dramatic portraits in his sculptures and paintings. The Ecstasy of Saint Teresa remains one of my favorite works of art.
Art Preview:
Blessed Raven
by Jemma leigh Roe
Blessed Raven
by Jemma leigh Roe
©Jemma Leigh Roe
Jemma Leigh Roe studied art at the Université Paris-Sorbonne and received a PhD in Romance Languages and Literatures from Princeton University. Her poetry and visual art are featured or forthcoming in Canyon Voices, Feral: A Journal of Poetry and Art, Literary North, Young Ravens Literary Review, and others.