\u201cIt was really just for fun, painting with friends every Friday night,\u201d she said. \u201cWe would go painting and it was like a really fun thing. And it was kind of like my hobby and it was always something that was really fun for me to do and de-stress and something for me to do with my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260511_195802826_iOS-1024x768.jpg\")
Business card for Montreal artist Jessica Boudreau of JbArtMtl, known for her one-of-a-kind Montreal Canadiens-inspired paintings, on May 11, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\n
After stepping away from art for a period, she later returned through studies at John Abbott College, where her style began to take shape.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat took a long time,\u201d she said. \u201cI did a lot of collages. I did a lot of live models and all that. So you kind of start developing little things here and there that stick.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her signature style \u2014 often featuring black-and-white elements with pops of colour \u2014 continues to evolve.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think that I\u2019m still even developing my style,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you\u2019re in it, you just want to do whatever comes naturally. And that\u2019s the best thing you could do.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260511_205224000_iOS-768x1024.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
Jessica Boudreau, a Montreal-based artist known for her one-of-a-kind Montreal Canadiens-inspired paintings, poses with some of her work on May 11, 2026. (Submitted by: Jessica Boudreau)<\/p>\n
Her work is now becoming instantly recognizable.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow my work is actually being recognized as like, \u2018oh, that\u2019s a JB art,\u2019 which a few of my clients actually told me my work was recognized in their homes,\u201d she said. \u201cNothing is better than that as an artist to hear that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Where hockey and art collide<\/p>\n
For Boudreau, hockey and creativity are inseparable, shaped by a lifelong connection to the Montreal Canadiens.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been a Habs fan my whole life,\u201d she said. \u201cI named all three of my kids after hockey players: Malkin after Evgeni Malkin, Avery after Sean Avery and my daughter Haley for Hayley Wickenheiser.\u201d<\/p>\n
That passion naturally merged with her artistic work.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always had a passion for sports,\u201d she said. \u201cI have a lot of respect for athletes and how hard it takes to get to the top of where they are. And it inspired me to put that same passion into my art and it kind of just went together.\u201d<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/20260511_203652728_iOS-1024x768.jpg\")
A painting of Montreal Canadiens player Ivan Demidov by Montreal artist Jessica Boudreau of JbArtMtl is displayed at her home in Montreal, Que., on May 11, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews)<\/p>\n
Rather than statistics or results, her inspiration comes from defining moments.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor me, it\u2019s all about moments,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s that moment, those chills that you get when Cole scores his 50th or the save, the wink with Patrick Roy. These are all moments that I know as a fan are really special.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen the pictures the next day come out, I just know I need to paint that,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
From fan art to NHL recognition<\/p>\n
Her work has reached Canadiens players and their families.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe first painting I made of a Habs player was Sean Monahan,\u201d she said. \u201cBrittany, his wife, contacted me and she was the sweetest ever. It was for his 700th game. They were so nice, they shared a picture with me and they were so happy with it.\u201d<\/p>\n
She later worked on a project involving Patrik Laine.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe was so happy as his first Habs painting as a Habs player.\u201d<\/p>\n
She also participated in a charity initiative involving several Canadiens players.<\/p>\n
\u201cI did a Habs painting and then some of the players signed it,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
For Boudreau, the goal extends beyond recognition.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s really been my purpose in art, is also to give back any way that I can,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
A story shaped by family and resilience<\/p>\n
Behind the artwork is a deeply personal story that reshaped her life and purpose.<\/p>\n
Her son underwent an eight-and-a-half-hour brain tumour surgery at age five.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven in that process, he had to learn how to walk, talk. It\u2019s just awful,\u201d Boudreau explained. <\/p>\n
The experience changed how she approaches both life and art.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough this I always said, \u2018please save my son and do something for my son,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI will promise that I will give back any way that I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, her son is part of her creative process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m blessed enough that I have my son with me that takes all the pictures and videos,\u201d she said. \u201cWhen you see my paintings, it\u2019s him in the back like, \u2018Mommy are we almost done?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s my biggest inspiration,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
Growing demand and confidence ahead of Game 4<\/p>\n
Despite a growing commission list, Boudreau says she continues to balance client work with passion projects.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do have a client list that I have to keep up with,\u201d she said. \u201cBut if it\u2019s like a special order or something that\u2019s rushed, there\u2019s always ways around it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some players remain on her list of dream subjects.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely Dobe\u0161,\u201d she said. \u201cEverybody is really wanting me to paint him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead to Game 4, she is confident in the outcome.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely know the Habs are going to win. We\u2019re in it now,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI definitely think we\u2019re winning. I think it\u2019s going to be another crazy goal game. Let\u2019s say 6-3 for the Habs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even as her audience grows, she says her focus remains on authenticity and gratitude.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy work is all one of one. I put my whole heart into my art and people feel it when they receive it. They really say, \u2018oh my god, I didn\u2019t expect to love it even more when I got it in person.\u2019 That\u2019s a big thing a lot of my collectors say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m very blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\tJessica Boudreau, a Montreal-based artist known for her one-of-a-kind Montreal Canadiens-inspired paintings, poses with some of her work, on May 11, 2026. (Corinne Boyer, CityNews) <\/p>\n
\t\tKeep it Factual<\/p>\n
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