Spring Bouquet Painting

Claude lives in Gatineau (Quebec) and has had a successful career as a landscape architect in the national capital area. His passion for art began as a young adult. He acquired a solid foundation in drawing, painting and art history at the Ottawa School of Art in the 1990’s, participating in local sales and exhibitions at the time. Having to combine the responsibilities of work and family, he put aside his artistic activity but returned to them as of 2017, after retiring from the government. Since that time, he has devoted most of his time to painting. Medium: I use acrylics because of their incredible versatility, ease of use and permanence. They lend themselves to working thick or thin, to effects of transparency and building up of layers. Subjects: Landscape, nature, interiors, still life Artistic Approach: I admire and learn from many artists of the late 19th and 20th century such as Van Gogh, Matisse, Bonnard, in France, Emily Carr and members of the Group of 7 in Canada to name a few. I like to explore all that surrounds us and to discover a latent beauty that reveals itself sometimes in the most unassuming of subjects or settings. This is done by observing quietly and becoming one with the subject, achieving a special quality of awareness of what is in front of me. I rely on good observation yet maintain a certain artistic freedom in my work and I pay special attention to composition, light and color. Without consciously planning it, a quiet, peaceful emotion and energy permeates my work and it's something I want to share.