“A Day in the Life” with Calgary Artist Jade Bartlett

February 17, 2021 Admin Arts, Photography

Having known Jade Bartlett since childhood, I’ve enjoyed the honour of seeing her flourish as an artist over many years. She has remained one of the most creative and inquisitive people I know, always learning and finding self-expression through her art. Poetry and photography are her mediums of choice, through which she channels her bold, yet nuanced voice. Her work intertwines softness, in pastel hues and lyrical prose, with cutting truths about mental health and womanhood.

— Lauryn Bitterman, friend

I’ve known Jade Bartlett for my entire life, and she has never ceased to amaze me with her creativity, imagination, and excellent eye for photography. Every time I’ve seen Jade in action, I have been amazed by her ability to see beauty and art in places most people wouldn’t even consider. But that isn’t where her talent ends. As a poet, Jade is endlessly inspirational. Jade’s ability to expertly select the words that will move the reader is transcendental in impact. Her work has made me feel so many different things, from elation, to melancholy, to contemplation, and has even taken me on journeys of deep social and religious analysis. I’m very excited for Jade’s work to receive the recognition it deserves.

—Lexa Cutler, cousin and friend

The Dreamer - Jade Bartlett — The Dreamer

A snap of photography exhibition as part of a Raw Artist event in 2019. Photographs for this event were taken by Victor Tobar and his assistant Rosie Lee. - Jade Bartlett — A snap of photography exhibition as part of a Raw Artist event in 2019. Photographs for this event were taken by Victor Tobar and his assistant Rosie Lee.

As a photographer, I am most inspired by flowers, the sunset, Grecian statues, and the moon. - Jade Bartlett — As a photographer, I am most inspired by flowers, the sunset, Grecian statues, and the moon.

Books galore! My favourite genre? Poetry, of course.

I have been an avid blogger since my early high school years and currently run my own creative writing blog where I showcase my poetry.

I tend to a variety of species including succulents, air plants, carnivorous plants, ivy and more! The growth of my plants never fails to inspire me.

This February my poem Wo(e)man will be featured in issue three of The Femme Handbook.

She danced to the rhythm of stanza,
her heart
a synchronization of verse
beating
in unison with the
typewriter keys.
⁃a poem written on my typewriter

Which neighbourhood are you in?

I live in a small cul-de-sac in Temple (NE Calgary).

What do you do?

When I am not working retail as a cosmetician, I devote my time to creating. The mediums I am most passionate about are poetry and photography. In the spring and summer, you can find my typewriter, camera and I in the garden, shrouded in the company of my many plants.