16 x 12", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel
painting #303, 2025
These two local history books belongs to the clients who commissioned this painting. Both grew up in Acadian villages, but in different provinces. This painting is of sort an homage honoring their Acadian roots. Father Anselme Chiasson, the author of Chéticamp, histoire et traditions acadiennes (1961) is also the co-author of Sainte-Anne-de-Kent (1886-1986) which was co-written by Arthur Poirier, father of one of the clients.
Father Anselme Chiasson (1911-2004) was an Acadian Catholic priest, historian, ethnographer, and folklorist. He was a staunch defender of Acadia, both for it's language and culture. His name is associated with the founding not only of the Université de Moncton, but especially of the Centre d'études acadiennes (Center for Acadian Studies) which, under his leadership, became a reference on Acadian history, culture, and genealogy. While representing the Church and preaching the faith throughout his life, he denounced injustices toward the Acadian community.
He played a prominent role in promoting historical research. In 1960, he co-founded the Acadian Historical Society in New Brunswick with Father Clément Cormier and journalist Émery Leblanc. He also served as an archivist. In 1961, he founded Les Éditions des Aboiteaux, the first publishing house in Acadia, of which the book of Chéticamp pictured above was published that same year. He himself is the author of some fifteen books.
On the occasion of his 70th birthday, author Antonine Maillet wrote: "Of all the Acadians I know, Father Anselme Chiasson is the most Acadian." Father Chiasson was named an officer to the Order of Canada along the designations of Chevalier to several French orders.
While these books carry significant importance to their owners, the Sainte-Anne-de-Kent book is especially significant to me personally. Upon graduating from Nursing School, I would spent the next five years working in a rural hospital located in this community. It is here that I would meet my future wife and where I did my first painting. The artwork on the book cover is by the artist René Hébert. Hébert was born in Moncton in 1932. He studied art at the École des beaux-arts de Montréal. He initially worked as a graphic artist in Toronto before moving to Sainte-Anne-de-Kent along the Northumberland Strait where he would set up his art studio and lived with his wife and children. His brush strokes are economically applied, with much assurance featuring bold and expressive colors depicting rural life and the landscape of Eastern Canada. He was a friend of the Quebec artist Tex Lecor. It is evident that they were greatly influenced by the artists of the Group of Seven. I visited his studio during the mid 1990's and acquired one of his amazing paintings.
Prior to the publishing of this book, the wooded Roman Catholic Church depicted on the cover had received the designation of Provincial Historic Site. The interior featured 48 iconographic frescos and paintings by local artist Édouard Gautreau, a Murano glass chandelier and sculptures by its' architect Léon Léger. I remember attending mass here and losing interest of what the priest was saying as my head was always going around in circles looking at the artwork. That church was often referred to as the Acadian Sistine Chapel. Sadly, on June 29, 2005, the church was hit by lightning and quickly burned to the ground. Only a few moveable pieces of artwork were saved. Growing up in Cap-Lumière, I was an alter boy while attending church in Richibouctou-Village. A massive master painting of Saint Antony of Padua also painted by Edouard Gautreau hung above the alter. It's certainly the first great work of art that I saw as a child and have probably spend hundreds of hours admiring it. Sainte-Anne-de-Kent is also where my own mother was born and grew up.
Prior to the publishing of this book, the wooded Roman Catholic Church depicted on the cover had received the designation of Provincial Historic Site. The interior featured 48 iconographic frescos and paintings by local artist Édouard Gautreau, a Murano glass chandelier and sculptures by its' architect Léon Léger. I remember attending mass here and losing interest of what the priest was saying as my head was always going around in circles looking at the artwork. That church was often referred to as the Acadian Sistine Chapel. Sadly, on June 29, 2005, the church was hit by lightning and quickly burned to the ground. Only a few moveable pieces of artwork were saved. Growing up in Cap-Lumière, I was an alter boy while attending church in Richibouctou-Village. A massive master painting of Saint Antony of Padua also painted by Edouard Gautreau hung above the alter. It's certainly the first great work of art that I saw as a child and have probably spend hundreds of hours admiring it. Sainte-Anne-de-Kent is also where my own mother was born and grew up.
As retirement was pending for the couple who commissioned this painting, they decided to leave big city life, change province and built their dream home on rural ancestral land. This painting is to grace their new house. While they approved the proposal of the imagery prior to starting this piece, I was pretty much given full artistic license as they wanted the artwork to painted in my signature style. I chose an outdoor setting as I wanted the peonies to bask in natural light. The surface on which the composition rests on is a Danish / Scandinavian inspired mid-century modern side table. It was gifted to the client when the cabinet in which she worked a great majority of her life was relocated to another part of the city.
During the late 1980's, I became a fan of the Canadian alternative rock band Chalk Circle. In 1987, they released an album entitled, Mending Wall. The inspiration for the title was borrowed from a Robert Frost poem of the same name. Good fences makes good neighbors, a line from that poem also appeared in the lyrics of their song N.I.M.B.Y. (not in my backyard). Since then, every time I see a fence, the Robert Frost reference always comes to mind. With that said, I've opted for a fence in the background as I've done in several previous painting.
Mending Wall, a poem by Robert Frost
N.I.M.B.Y (not in my backyard) - by Chalk Circle
Music video filmed in Dartmouth and Peggy's Cove, NS.
-Private Collection
