Latitude Art Gallery
CHANTAL JULIEN
Born in Donnacona, near Quebec City, in 1965, her interest for the visual arts began at an early age. Drawing all the time on paper that her father brought home from the paper mill he worked at, and a few years later she began using oil on canvas as her preferred medium. She studied applied physics in college and after graduation she worked in a research laboratory . During her studies and her professional career, she continued painting and drawing. The urge to express herself on canvas became more pressing and at the age of 30, with the love and support of her husband, she decided to become a full time artist.
Initially self-taught she eventually graduated from the University of Sherbrooke in visual arts. Over the years, she has been invited to many prestigious symposiums and has acumulated many prizes and mentions. Chantal's paintings can be viewed in some of the best art galleries throughout Canada.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT
Painting is for me a way to explore my environment, life and nature. Be it landscape, cityscape or still life, everything is for me a reason to paint. A glimpse of light is enough to get my attention and start me creating. I paint outside because I love the contact with nature and I paint in my studio too to work on bigger projects. Challenges are great and I tackle them with passion.
I strive to simplify the subject, to show the essential and leave to the viewer his part of dream. My paintings reflect those instants where time slows down to offer us a breather, a time for thoughts. I am a member of The Institute for Figurative (representative) Art. I have participated in many important symposiums. I have received prizes and grants, including twice the Elizabeth Greenshields Foundation grant.