Jaclyn Trecartin McAdam

Mother  /  Canada Games Gallery  /  January 17-March 7, 2025

Mother explores a woman’s transition into motherhood, coming from my experience of pregnancy, delivery, and the post-natal restructuring into becoming a mother. 

Mothers are fearsome and strong, sweet and loving. Transforming into motherhood is not something I take for granted. I experienced infertility and it was a practice in faith waiting to be delivered into this role. Alix E. Harrow has written a wonderful novel, The Once and Future Witches.
I read this book as I was beginning my motherhood journey, usually with my daughter asleep at my breast. In the book, the reader is introduced to three women personifying Maiden, Mother, and Crone. I was struck by Harrow’s representation of Mother. This Mother was a warrior, as were her children: protective and unafraid to shield the innocent from danger. They did not seek blood, but they did not shy away from it. This portrayal literally stopped me. I paused, with a smile, and realized Harrow was indeed sharing with the reader a little-recognized Truth: a mother is not only the soft woman society has tried to make her be, a mother is dangerous to forces who wish to perpetrate evil. A mother’s influence and power are unmatched. 

The pieces are created via my modality of intuition-based abstract expressionism, using acrylics- forward mixed media. It will celebrate the Power of Motherhood, and be a call to respect the mothers who came before us. Our ancestors deserve more than the footnotes we often give them in our lives, and in our collective histories. Our mothers require respect. Yes, there are definitely some women who have not lived up to this role, but perhaps if we remember the power of our femininity we can push beyond the roles society has laid before women, and bravely accept our position. Yes, not every woman desires, or is able to be a biological parent. This series does not dismiss their existence, nor does it seek to invalidate them. These women are born of mothers, and carry the power of motherhood within them, they are integral to the cycle. They are sisters to be cherished, children to be honoured. An artist has to be somewhat selfish in that she can only portray what is Truth to her. My experience of my femininity in no way diminishes that of any other woman.


Biography

Jaclyn Trecartin McAdam (BA History Honours, BEd, MEd) has been creating artwork since she can recall. She sees patterns and cycles stretched over time, and this informs her art. She has found herself drawn to the helping fields, working as a psychotherapist since 2012, and believes we do best when we honour our true values, and nurture our spirit, mind, and body.

Jaclyn lives connected to nature, and often finds herself starting and ending a piece aligned with the moon’s phases. Every piece she creates begins with an intention and she seeks to allow her intention to materialize into a coherent piece. She utilizes a mixed media approach, with a heavy leaning on acrylics. She is currently exploring what she calls “painting with light,” using reflective media to bring light into her pieces. 

She has studied and taught principles of art, and her ability to synthesize the concepts of colour theory, linear theory, composition, texture, and dimension into her abstracts is well-recognized. She is enjoying the process of sharing her artistic ability to an extended audience at this stage in her art career. The technical aspects she has learned have come from a self-directed curriculum of workshops, classes, consultation with other artists, and experimentation. 

She works and lives alongside the Wolastoq/Saint John River in New Brunswick, Canada, creating art in her home studio. This allows a continual integration of her creative practice into her family life.