Jess Le Monnier during one of her KickArts classes at the Cannery. Photo: Rosie Henderson.
As Jess Le Monnier shapes clay on her potter’s wheel, she zones out from the chaos of the world around her.
The Esperance potter landed herself a Regional Arts WA fellowship in 2024 and she has been facilitating workshops in Esperance since.
She said her project “Ceramics and Self Expression” was inspired by her past struggles with mental health, in which art had become a coping mechanism.
“I find art a really helpful tool to express yourself when you don’t have the words to be able to do it,” Le Monnier said.
“Even if you are not saying anything with your art, you are just getting out of your head and doing something.
“It’s just being creative which is really important for me personally and I know a few other people that it has helped in that space as well.”
Le Monnier was one of five young regional WA artists who received a “Next Level” grant to help her pursue a career in the arts.
She was mentoring under Marcia Leonard with guidance of Esperance ceramic Crystal Obschonka during the program and said the biggest lesson she had learned was to express herself more freely.
“I think especially when it comes to my own art, it is just doing it rather than thinking it has to be perfect and just getting involved,” she said.
“I think there’s a self-barrier that we put up when it comes to art — I’ve always tried heaps of different mediums from silversmithing to embroidery, trying to find something to do… .
“I have ADHD so I dabble in so much stuff and ceramics is where I’ve landed at the moment and I’m really enjoying it — you can sculpt and create all sorts of things and I think that’s really cool.”
Le Monnier said her passion for art emerged as a child and now she was passing on her skills to others too, including her three children.
Her fellowship officially ended on Tuesday and she said she was eager to continue sharing her talent with Esperance.
“It’s naturally progressed so there’s been no force into it, and I’d love to just do more stuff with the community because that’s where my heart is — but I’d also like to focus on my own art as well,” she said.
“I have some collaborations with the Cannery — at the end of July I’m doing a safe space for pride with the Esperance Pride community and I’m doing a birthday party so it’s naturally growing organically the way it’s happening.
“I’m doing a Pottery and Pilates session in August and potentially do them regularly depending how it goes.”
She said the Pottery and Pilates was run by Tahlia Hayley.
Le Monnier runs the KickArts youth workshops at the Cannery too.
She said the Cannery had been a huge support, particularly Katie Witt for helping her secure the fellowship and Brittany Norton for promoting her workshops.
