On Exhibit

Martha Markowsky – Creation is Everything

A lover of music, Martha attends numerous classical concerts where she gleans images to paint. Hence, during one of these symphonic evenings, the flamboyant red hair of a violin player catches her eye and instantly engenders the vision of a scene she could paint, which she immediately starts sketching directly on the concert programme. For this artist, drawing and painting are like a second nature through which she expresses herself and depicts life. To read and discover!

Birthday Celebration, huile sur toile, 36 x 24 po

After the Snowfall, acrylique sur toile, 18 x 24 po

Musical Direction, huile sur toile, 16 x 20 po

marthamarkowsky.com

Nancy Létourneau

In Tune with her Creative Instinct

Delight in Discovery

The creations of Nancy Létourneau may branch out in various directions without immediate apparent connection, but this variety becomes significant when we reflect on her artistic process. Although trained as a graphic designer on which she could build a career, she chose to curb rational thinking and rather tackle the art of painting by letting her left cerebral hemisphere direct each one of her gestures.

Any perfectionist reliant on constant self-control would find this operating mode highly challenging. Her emotions, even the most secret, she regards as a pool of ideas into which she can dive to reach a depth that will allow her to express what dwells in her soul. A simple attraction towards exploring a new material or a new technique may lead her forward on this path, but always following an intuitive approach, free of any expectation. Her desires may of course ensue from some general intention, but Nancy Létourneau never confines herself to any restraint, even less to an ambition. “I try to avoid being preoccupied with the hope of attaining a precise result, which would impede the free circulation of my internal energy. It is an act of thrust and of release that always leads me towards a destination in symbiosis with my uniqueness, although a priori I am ignorant as to the point of arrival,” states the artist.

Fusion (Au jardin Series)

Text by Lisanne Le Tellier

www.studiopixels.net

Chantal Malek

Forging her lucky star

Great Encounter

When Chantal Malek has something in mind, nothing can stop her. Once she sets her goal, this shining comet catalyses all of her efforts towards fulfilling her dream and overcomes with aplomb any challenge hindering her path.

From a clear initial vision grounded in her instinct, all of her wishes materialize, one after another, thanks to her audacity and determination anchored to an entrepreneurial spirit. “Once I have a plan in mind, I always take long-term decisions to ensure its realization. We must believe in our capabilities and seek-out what we desire without relying on anyone’s help, seeing our ideas through to the end,” says the artist with confidence. She trusts life and is firmly convinced that everything is accessible, a principle that allows her to go forward and remain undaunted.

Abstraction 62, 48 x 24 in

Text by Lisanne Le Tellier

Chantal Malek’s works are found at galerie Céleste, 285, rue Principale in Saint-Sauveur, at galerie Vigneault in Repentigny and at galerie Les plumes de Beirut, in Lebanon.

Jacques Jourdain

One of the Last Romantic Painters

Painting a Country

“A work of art is a suspension of time” – Bonnard

It is highly unlikely that one could encounter such a unique creative path in our complicated era when an artist must please his mother, his father, art collectors, local reporters as well as officials from the Ministry of culture. Hence, 86 years old Jacques Jourdain may well be the last romantic artist of this time in the field of visual arts.

Born in 1931 in Three-Rivers, he graduated from the Québec School of Fine Arts in 1956. He was a favorite student of Jean Paul Lemieux who instilled in him the essence of art and imparted his expert advice. He first encouraged him to pursue his creative endeavours, then urged him to look for ways to improve his purely personal approach while cautioning him about possible pitfalls, fleeting fashions and the tortuous art market.

Ohé ohé au sucre, 32 x 48 in

Text by Michel Bois

Jacques Jourdain is represented by Galerie Douce Passion
42 A, rue Notre-Dame, Québec. 418-648-9292

Debby Talbot

The Relativity of the Image

Delight in Discovery

In this era of image culture where representations of reality are constantly enhanced, what is true anymore in what we see? Debby Talbot’s reflection on the very personal relationship each of us entertains with beauty and seduction may have been influenced by her work as a graphic artist specialising in packaging.

But it may be fitting to ask ourselves whether the human being hasn’t also become a consumer product to be showcased. Photographs are everywhere, alluring and often misleading, in limitless and sprawling
lushness. Retouched, improved or modified, they show individuals that are always at their best in a faultless slideshow, as if life was pure perfection. This visual assumption is what Debby Talbot questions in her artistic approach, overlooking first impressions so the eye may go beyond what it captured at first glance. In this universe of manufactured “looks”, where many feel the need to expose themselves to prove their existence, what is left of the elusive dimension of beauty which does not fall under any predetermined social conditioning? Why should we simply yield to the dictates of modern aesthetics?

Eliane

Text by Lisanne le Tellier

Debby Talbot is represented by Galerie du Vieux Saint-Jean, in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu.

Passion Red

Lynn Garceau

On Exhibit

Having been raised in a family of artists, it was foreseeable that painting would someday be part of Lynn Garceau’s life. A more than likely prospect indeed as she believes the discipline has literally chosen her and that she would have been unable to follow a different path. She is however in her early thirties when the call becomes really insistent, pressing her to devote more of her time to art, with ever increasing ardour. Passionate about flowers, tulips, peonies and poppies are prominent in her paintings, sometimes depicted in close-up, sometimes as part of a spanning panorama that allows for a quasi-abstract treatment.

“I can’t imagine my life without flowers. It’s a penchant that runs in our family, transmitted from one generation to the next. This theme is part of my life and is certainly here to stay, especially since there is such a quantity of locations when we can watch them bloom.” Starting with La Mauricie National Park where she’s been going every week for a very long time, the Annual Tulip Festival in Ottawa and the wonderful gardens of Les Hémérocalles de l’Isle, located in Bécancour, that count more than twenty thousand cultivars. She has also been to Algonquin Park, located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Ontario, kayaking to discover the aquatic flora and the twisted pines that were so well depicted by Tom Thompson. And then there are Monet’s gardens in Giverny, the Alhambra gardens in Spain, as well as Provence where she can follow in Van Gogh’s footsteps. She also visited the Antilles where the light is so different and where she had the opportunity to paint exotic species depicted in flowerpots on smaller sized canvasses.  Abonnez-vous au contenu de notre site internet pour lire ce texte. Subscribe to our Website content to read more

Text by Lisanne Le Tellier

Lynn Garceau’s works are available in the following galleries:

Galerie Bel Art, in Québec City, Galerie Beauchamp in Baie-Saint-Paul, Galerie Le Bourget in Montréal, Galerie Lumière au pinceau in the City of Grand-Mère, Koyman Galleries in Ottawa, Woodlands Gallery in Winnipeg, Galerie Céleste in Saint-Sauveur, Oceanside Art Gallery in British Colombia and Ryan Fine Art Gallery in Port Carling, Ontario.

Littorio Del Signore

A Tribute to the City of Montréal

Great Encounter

With his usual pleasant, jovial and generous disposition, Littorio Del Signore welcomes me to his home, having accepted to share with us chapters of his well-rounded life. Despite the sum of his accomplishments and distinctions garnered throughout his artistic career, he remains modest when discussing his countless achievements. He never sought the prizes he was awarded, he simply created paintings resplendent with light that caught the attention of a quantity of juries. Artist through and through, he is prepared to randomly recount a myriad of stories highlighting the main aspects of his 40 years of creation. “I’ve been able to live from my art ever since I came here, says the artist, I’ve never done anything else.”

Text by Lisanne Le Tellier

To contact the artist
[email protected]

Roland Palmaerts

Ardour and radiance

Artists from Elsewhere

Well known to art lovers, Roland Palmaerts’ body of work leaves no-one indifferent. With a flourishing career of more than thirty years, the energetic Belgian artist is the personification of passion pursued with continuously renewed creation, constant artistic implication and a determination to transcend limits.

Texte de Isabelle Gauthier

Represented by:
Balcon dʼArt, Saint-Lambert, QC
Galerie Archambault, Lavaltrie, QC
Galerie Internationale, Québec
Galerie dʼArt Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul, QC
Galerie dʼArt Iris du Manoir Richelieu, Baie-Saint-Paul, QC
Galerie dʼArt du château DB, Mont-Tremblant, QC
Galerie dʼArt Bonheur du Jour, Magog, QC
Galerie Knowlton, Knowlton, QC
Westmount Art Gallery, Toronto, ON
Galerie du Parc, Chelsea, QC
Galerie Michel Bigué, Saint-Sauveur-des-Monts, QC
Galerie La Pièce dʼArt
Stephen Lowe Art Gallery, Calgary, AB

Jacqueline Gosselin

Journey to the Land of Colours

Art in a Feminine Pespective

The colourful world of Jacqueline Gosselin is best defined through the impression it produces rather than through a detailed description of the pigments she uses. Phrases such as ‘imaginary journey’, ‘philosophical reverie’ or ‘vagabond moods’ seem to more accurately translate her body of work. Enter a world of visual poetry!

By Isabelle Gauthier

More informations
Artist Website

Joan Dumouchel

Fleeting Impressions

Great Encounter

Painter of moments of introspection, Joan Dumouchel probes the nuances of the human psyche in a contemporary body of work that leaves room for imagination. Her realistic faces inhabit dreamlike universes that are conducive to escape. Portrait of an intuitive artist.

Joan Dumouchel has always dreamed of becoming an artist. As far as she can remember, the 63 years old artist has always loved to draw. While she attended art classes at UQAM, abstraction was the favoured style. However, portrait has long exercised its fascination on her. “My favorite classes were on live model. Charcoal in hand, I drew incessantly.” After having taught visual arts for a few years, she is approached by the art supplies retailer Omer DeSerres to hold training workshops for art teachers. This connection leads to another with the Liquitex acrylic paint company who sends her to England, accompanied by a select group of international artist, with the mission of testing their material. The experience proved to be an unforgettable one, on a cultural as well as an artistic basis. Abonnez-vous au contenu de notre site internet pour lire ce texte. Subscribe to our Website content to read more

Text by Isabelle Gauthier

Represented by:

Galerie Blanche, Montréal

Iris, Baie-Saint-Paul


Michel Bigué, Saint-Sauveur

Martin Gallery, USA 


Mary Martin Gallery, USA

Thompson Landry, Toronto

Claude Gauthier

Giving Free Rein to Imagination

Great Encounter

Accessing the imaginary world of Claude Gauthier means following a path filled with radiant colours and symbols. His dreamlike and whimsical works invite the viewer on an ethereal journey the sense of which only he can interpret.

The art of Claude Gauthier never goes unnoticed: bright colours, subjects depicted on abstract backgrounds, graphic textures and composition, all vigorously catch the eye. These visual design qualities are the result of a long career in graphic arts with Radio-Canada. Where art begins and illustration ends is an indeterminate point that is characteristic of his body of work. An open door to the realm of fantasy, his art emits a juvenile aura which he explains thusly: “It may seem a bit childish, but that’s normal for I’m still a child!” His fantasy landscapes are filled with varied objects that are repeatedly featured in his paintings: houses, vases, horses. Without any precise narrative, his unbridled creations leave room to the imagination and free interpretation. Abonnez-vous au contenu de notre site internet pour lire ce texte. Subscribe to our Website content to read more

Text by Isabelle Gauthier

Represented by: Galerie Lydia Monaro, Vieux-Montréal Galerie Michel Bigué, Saint-Sauveur

Carole Doucet

When words take shape

Delight in Discovery

Powerful and technically polished, Carole Doucet’s artworks are above all spiritual messengers on a humanitarian mission that far outreaches the art world from which they emerge.

Based on words of holistic wisdom, her works are constructed around a warm and mineral palette expressing the glowing spirit of the Psalms of David, the Song of Solomon, or the wise proverbs and quotes from which they emanate. ” The goal is to connect the emotion with the idea, freely, without worry about performance. is action will be extended through the spectator’s own perception, corresponding to his particular reality,” says the artist. Abonnez-vous au contenu de notre site internet pour lire ce texte. Subscribe to our Website content to read more

Text by Lisanne LeTellier

Dominique Normand

Celebrating native culture

Artist Profil

The Laurentians region abounds with marvellously quaint villages nestled in the heart of the mountains, flooded with sunlight for the pleasure of residents and vacationers. On a road bordered by century-old white pines with needles that tickle the sky, I am on my way to meet with an artist whose production will reveal an unexpected wealth of riches.

As I drive on, I have the feeling that the mountains have never been so green, that the vegetation has never been so luxuriant than in this summer of 2016. All along my route, magnificent cinnamon ferns lurk in the shadows, in contrast with the gor- ged-in-light background. Abonnez-vous au contenu de notre site internet pour lire ce texte. Subscribe to our Website content to read more

Text by Robert Lafontaine

Marie-Claude Courteau

The Essentiality of Light

Art in a Feminine Perspective

Once Marie-Claude Courteau gets an idea in her head, she feels a compelling need to paint, an uncontrollable urge to immediately start working to elaborate her vision and find a way to make it burst with light.

“There is no colour without light. Light is what changes everything!”, she exclaims. This constant preoccupation with luminosity frames her whole artistic process. It is the motor that drives her movements in her effort to magnify the sublime beauty of nature she loves so much. Her great wish is to be able to not only feature but emphasize the abundant richness of nature, far more valuable in her eyes than any material property. “Nothing is as genuine as nature,” says the artist. A visit to Paris in 1983, notably to Monet’s gardens in Giverny, forever changes her approach to art. She begins working with a brighter palette, crea- ting areas of colour in a less polished style, thus leaving more room to the imagination. Her study sessions with Chui Wang also help transform how she looks at things, hence perceiving subtler colours guiding her towards more nuanced tonalities.

Text by Lisanne LeTellier

To the Beat of the River

Claude De Lorimier

Thumbnail Sketches

Her home facing Mont-Sainte-Anne with a view of Île d’Orléans, Claude De Lorimier has the good fortune of living in an environ- ment that provides her with year-long inspiration. Her paintings depicting the moods of the river and its shores are reflections of this marvelous sight. The self-taught artist has come to rely on this sense of wonderment which is the main trigger that compels her to choose the moment and the rendering, wind in her hair, fully alert.

Claude De Lorimier’s work is imbued with gentleness, an impressionistic touch and an overall peaceful atmosphere. Painting in open air from the very beginning, the artist initially seeks to reproduce the sensations she experiences from nature. Displaying great mastery of colour, her extensive quest for the most accurate shades possible occupies a large part of her efforts. Whether translating the turquoise colour of the river on a particular day or the green of a specific spruce tree, the objective is to give the spectator the impression of being on-site. The search for perfect lighting is also a pivotal part of her process, of upmost importance in fact to be able to render the ephemerality of time, the vastness of a landscape under the expansiveness of sky. With the pleasure of creating something beautiful comes another benefit: “When I paint, all mental activity is on pause, I no longer have time to think!” It is well known that art creates a perfect zen moment.  Abonnez-vous au contenu de notre site internet pour lire ce texte. Subscribe to our Website content to read more

Text by Isabelle Gauthier

Represented by: Galerie Clarence Gagnon

René Gagnon

In Harmony with Nature

Painting a Country

“I do not know whether my paintings are Surrealist or not, but I do know that they are the most honest expression of myself.” – Frida Kahlo

Facing me, the man stands straight as an oak tree. His hands are huge. His hair is shaggy, much as Albert Einstein’s. His deep intense eyes reflect the greatest joys as well as the torments of human experience. René Gagnon has been dealing with the hazards of life for all of his 86 years, including 67 years with the demons of creation.

Over the restaurant table, he is showing me the pictures that are included in his book. Here, on a fishing trip with Riopelle, Paul Rebeyrolle and Stanley Cosgrove; another, with Alfred Pellan, taken during an exhibition in Paris. Being cognizant of René Gagnon’s creation is, to me, one of life’s blessings. Could it be one of the best kept secret of Québec art history?

 Texte de Michel Bois

Gordon Harrison

All I want to do is paint

Great Encounter

Gordon Harrison is a man of many parts, all of which have combined to make him one of the most successful Canadian landscape painters working today.

In September he won First Prize at the Rêves d’Automne 2014 painting contest in Baie Saint-Paul, in Charlevoix, Québec, where 140 prominent artists displayed 251 paintings, each bidding to capture the unofficial title of best Canadian landscape painter. He has also exhibited his work at what may be called the spiritual home of Canadian landscape painting, the McMichael Gallery in Kleinberg, just outside of Toronto, where all but one of the Group of Seven are buried.

For those who aren’t familiar with the spectacular natural beauty of the Charlevoix region, it has been captivating Quebec and Canadian landscape painters from the Group of Seven on down and Harrison has from time to time been called the eighth member of the Group of Seven.

Text by Noel Meyer

Gordon Harrison’s work is represented at the following venues: Galerie Perreault, 205 Saint Paul St., Québec, 418-692-4772; L’Express Gourmand, 31 Morin St., Sainte-Adèle, 450-229-1915; Les Fougères, 783 Route 105, Chelsea Qc, 819-827-8942; Gordon Harrison Canadian Landscape Gallery, 495 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, 613-746-6853; Petroff Gallery, 1016 Eglington Ave West, Toronto, 416-782-1696; In2Art Gallery, 136 Church St, Oakville, 905-582-6739; Peaks and Rafters Gallery, 162 Medora St., Port Carling, 705-765-6868; Ryan Fine Art Gallery, 3658 Muskoka, Hwy. 118 West, Port  Carling, 705-765-1500; Rouge Gallery, 245 3rd Ave., Unit 200, Saskatoon, 306-955-8882; West End Gallery, 12308 Jasper Ave., NW, Edmonton, 780-488-4892; West End Gallery, 1203 Broad St., Victoria, 250-388-0009.

Jean-Charles Daumas

Heartbeats and Wingstrokes

Wildlife in Art

For centuries, the animal kingdom has ignited man’s imagination. We need only think of ancient cave paintings as well as the great many artistic achievements it has inspired to creators in all cultures.

Well beyond a purely symbolic association that serves a purpose, wildlife art is primarily meant to be a vibrant testimonial to the connection that unites all living beings sharing the same planet.

 Text by Lisanne LeTellier

Raymond Quenneville

The Golden Hour

Painting A Country

“For the painter, the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in seeing with new eyes.”– Marcel Proust

The “Golden Hour” is known amongst professional photographers as that specific time of day that offers the best quality of lighting, that is, the first moments of light at sunrise and the last moments of light before sunset. Artist Raymond Quenneville captures in his paintings these crucial light phases when the sun nears the horizon to produce the softest contrasts and warmest glows, for our greatest enchantment.

Texte by Michel Bois

Raymond Quenneville is represented by: Fallen Leaf Gallery, 102, Main Street, Canmore, Alberta ; Galerie d’art Céleste, 285, rue Principale, St Sauveur, Québec ; Galerie Michel-Ange, 430, rue Bonsecours, Montréal, Québec ; Galeries Beauchamp, à Québec et à Baie-St-Paul, Québec ; New Masters Gallery, Carmel, California, USA ; Oceanside Art Gallery, 172, Second West ave, Qualicum Beach, B.C.

Suzan Édith Baron Lafrenière

Paying Tribute to Women

Thumbnail Sketches

Love and human warmth: pure joy! It is in festive atmosphere that I am welcomed at Baron Lafrenière Gallery in Quebec City on this autumn afternoon.

It is an honour to meet this great artist, Suzan Édith Baron Lafrenière and her two sons, Nikolas-Samuel Bernier, who manages the gallery, and François-David Bernier, lawyer and owner of this fantastic art gallery located in the old Molson bank building near Quebec’s old port. Suzan Édith Baron Lafernière has, in fact, four sons who actively promote her work to collectors and to the public at large.

Texte by Frédéric-Marc Gagné

Lucie Michel

Lyrical effusions between Heaven and Earth

Thumbnail Sketches

“Those who bother you with questions about art, inform them that there is more to it than being a good craftsman, you also need something no-one can teach you… sensitivity… charm… poetry. This we carry inside ourselves.” – Renoir

May I begin by stating that viewing a Lucie Michel painting fills me with an almost indescribable sensation of absolute delight! A sentiment simultaneously so tender and powerful that I am overwhelmed by its intensity. The tasty colours Lucie Michel introduces into her landscapes resonate like a song of freedom leading you on a journey towards impromptu emotions. But who is this artist whose paintings I have discovered on Saint-Pierre Street in Quebec city?

Text by Michel Bois

Lucie Michel is represented by Galerie d’art Internationale à Québec, Galerie Art & Style in Baie-Saint-Paul, Dimension Plus in Montreal et Koyman Galleries in Ottawa. To communicate with the artist via internet: www.luciemichel.ca

Michel Mecteau

Vivid colours and curved shapes

Delight in discovery

A man of few words, Michel Mecteau nevertheless speaks volume through his brushes as he reveals a universe essentially composed of brilliant colours and graceful arabesques.

Facing the canvas, the artist’s creative verve is almost boundless, nurtured by an eye that constantly views all that surrounds him in terms of subjects and values. Definitely figurative, his landscapes nonetheless radiate an atmosphere of enchantment rendered in a vibrant palette that goes beyond reality and generous compositions where omnipresent curves lead the eye into graceful waltz. Typical Quebec heritage houses thread along winding roads, forming a lengthy coloured necklace, bordered by imposing mountains with rugged  hillsides.

 Text by Lisanne Le Tellier

Michel Soulières

For Others to See

Contemporary Realism

« Abstraction lives in its own dimension and time. It only becomes a work of art through an artist’s unguarded actions… »

– André Malraux

Michel Soulières has a passion for painting. A need that must absolutely be filled, an irresistible obsession, almost a compulsion! In his sleep, he dreams about the joys of painting. Early in the morning, before making breakfast for his children, he tries to capture the images that came to him during the night. Otherwise, his creative élan must be relegated to the weekends and any other free moments when he is not working as a house painter, a job that helps provide for daily necessities and at which he excels notably when marble and granite faux finishes are involved. The latter, needlessto- say, he mostly performs in prestigious locations and on a large scale.

 Text by Michel Bois

Michel Soulières is represented by the Beauchamp Galleries in Québec and in Toronto.

Doug Purdon

likes to pump up his colours

Painting a country 

Doug Purdon likes to paint the sea and landscapes but when it comes right down to it he prefers to paint the sea, partly because of its propensity for atmospherics.

He does the occasional urban landscape and enjoys doing it, but really he prefers the sea, the sky and usually a boat or two or some figures. “I love the water, I love the sea, I love the sky! There is so much colour you can get into them and I love the movement,” says Purdon who usually paints 20-22 paintings a year. “The maritime coasts of Canada, Britain and Scotland are some of my favorite painting places.”

Text by Noel Meyer

Maurice Le Bel (1898-1963)

A Legitimate Career Path – From Earthy Reality to Abstraction

On Exhibit

“An avant-garde artist is in opposition with the existing system.” – Ionesco

“When you’ve reached the other shore, help others to reach it” – Bouddha

Early 20th century Québecois artists have depicted women, landscapes, scenes of daily life as well as still-life in various media such as engraving, painting and sculpture. Sometime later a few adepts of Cubism integrated a geometrical dimension, void of references, to their art. Then came the Surrealists, lead by Alfred Pellan, with their imaginary and dreamlike creations. Finally, the Abstract Automatists of the Refus Global movement, formed by Borduas, Riopelle, Ferron, Gauvreau, Barbeau and others, enjoy some renown and pave the way for the Plasticiens with Molinari as their national flag bearer. This constitutes, in short, the essence of what we today call the School of Montréal.

Text by Michel Bois

For information, please contact Mr. Richard Foisy, exhibition curator at Letbridge Exhibition Centre in Saint-Laurent and author of the catalogue published by Fides, and/or Mrs. Céline Le Merlus, Musée des maîtres et artisans du Québec, at 514-747-7367, extension 7102. – conservationnaq.qc.ca

André Latulippe

City Lights

Studio visite

 Old Québec has clothed its white coat and muffled up its buildings in soft silvery cotton. The snow and intense cold further mellow its tender somnolence in nonchalant calmness. A city of fleeting amorous adventures all breathing in unison the sweet fragrance of idyllic sentiments! – André Latulippe

The artist would have been a poet or an author, had painting not cast its spell over him. Bewitched by the City of Québec, the painter deems himself a populist. Born in 1940, in the working-class district of Saint- Sauveur, André Latulippe depicts anonymous figures evolving among the architectural anthology of the first French speaking city in North-America. In solidarity with those of most humble human condition within the realm of historical dimension, his work bears witness to the determination of a man shining an antique jewel until it sparkles.

Text by Michel Bois