FROM A HOBBY TO A PASSION - DE PASSE-TEMPS À PASSION

   English Version - *version française dessous*


FROM A HOBBY TO A PASSION

The first time I picked up a paint brush was in 1989.  In the beginning, all I did was copy the Impressionists.  I started slowly and didn’t do many paintings.  But I experimented a lot with different mediums… oil, acrylic and pastels. 

 

In March of 1990, my wife Francine and I drove to the Boston Museum of Fine Art to see an exhibit on Monet’s series paintings.  I had been to museums before but this time it was very different… I was stunned to see the Monets in person.  Up until then, I dabbled in painting.  After that visit it became a serious hobby.  I started reading books on impressionism.  I found out Winston Churchill had started painting at my age and written a book called “Painting as a Pastime”.  That book, along with many others help fuel my interest in painting. 

 

Eventually, my hobby became a passion.  If I had to pick a date when that happened, it would be when I set up a permanent home studio.  I painted whenever I could.  It didn’t matter where I was, at home, on a beach, in a hotel room, on a cruise ship and even where I worked.  My work studio allowed me to work on very large paintings.  After I sold my company, I moved my studio to the space directly behind our gallery on Rue Saint Paul in the old port of Montreal. 

 

Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of Francine, my kids and my business partners.  I was very lucky!

 

 

PHOTO/S:                     BEACH STUDIO 2023

                                        SKY PRINCESS STUDIO 2022

                                        367 RUE ST-PAUL EST STUDIO 2024

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Version française

  

DE PASSE-TEMPS À PASSION

 

La première fois que j’ai pris un pinceau, c’était en 1989. Au début, je ne faisais que copier les impressionnistes. J’ai commencé lentement et je n’ai pas fait beaucoup de peintures. Mais j’ai beaucoup expérimenté avec différents médiums… l’huile, l’acrylique et les pastels. 


En mars 1990, ma femme Francine et moi sommes allés au Boston Museum of Fine Art pour voir une exposition sur les séries de peintures de Monet. J'étais déjà allé dans des musées mais cette fois c'était très différent… J'ai été stupéfait de voir les Monet en personne. Jusqu’alors, je m’adonnais recréativement à la peinture. Après cette visite, c’est devenu un passe-temps sérieux. J'ai commencé à lire des livres sur l'impressionnisme. J'ai découvert que Winston Churchill avait commencé à peindre à mon âge et avait écrit un livre intitulé « La peinture comme passe-temps ». Ce livre, ainsi que bien d’autres, ont contribué à alimenter mon intérêt pour la peinture. 

 


Éventuellement, mon passe-temps est devenu une passion. Si je devais choisir une date à laquelle cela s’est exactement produit, ce serait lorsque je me suis créé un studio maison permanent. Je peignais dès que je le pouvais. Peu importe où je me trouvais, à la maison, sur une plage, dans une chambre d’hôtel, sur un bateau de croisière et même là où je travaillais. Mon atelier de travail m'a permis de travailler sur de très grands tableaux. Après avoir vendu mon entreprise, j'ai déménagé mon studio dans l'espace directement derrière notre galerie sur la rue Saint Paul dans le vieux port de Montréal. 

 

Bien sûr, rien de tout cela n’aurait été possible sans le soutien de Francine, de mes enfants et de mes partenaires d’affaire. J'ai eu beaucoup de chance!

 

PHOTO/S:                     STUDIO PLAGE 2023

                                        STUDIO SKY PRINCESS  2022

                                        STUDIO 367 RUE ST-PAUL EST. Photographie par Martin Chamberland, 2021.

 

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