La Dune de Bouctouche, un hommage à Antonine Maillet

       12 x 12", acrylic on cradle aluminium panel

painting #301, 2025-26 / black wooden floater frame

ENGLISH TO FOLLOW

Il s'agit d'une œuvre jumelle de la précédente, rendant hommage à l'auteure Antonine Maillet. L'emplacement de cette peinture est la dune de Bouctouche, plus précisément l'Éco-centre Irving et sa promenade à Saint-Édouard, au Nouveau-Brunswick.

Les deux livres figurant dans cette composition sont ses deux premiers romans. "Pointe-aux-Coques", publié en 1958, lui a valu le prix Champlain, suivi de "On a mangé la dune" en 1962. Ce second ouvrage marque une rupture stylistique majeure : Antonine Maillet commence à s'éloigner du français classique pour laisser la jeune protagoniste du roman s'exprimer avec ses propres mots. Cette démarche a ouvert la voie à l'usage du parler acadien qui allait plus tard assurer à l'auteure une renommée internationale. Ces deux romans sont semi-autobiographiques ; le village fictif de Pointe-aux-Coques s'inspire de Richibouctou-Village et du Cap-de-Richibouctou (Cap-Lumière).

Peu après avoir obtenu un baccalauréat es arts , elle a rejoint la congrégation des Sœurs de Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur en 1950, à l'âge de 21 ans. Elle a fait partie de cette communauté religieuse de 1950 à 1967. Au début de sa carrière, tout comme ses parents, elle a exercé le métier d'enseignante. Son premier poste d'enseignante se situait à Cap-Lumière, vers 1950. Selon mon défunt père, l'école se trouvait à environ 400 mètres de la maison où j'ai grandi. Ma marraine, alors nommée Rachelle Cormier, a enseigné à ses côtés durant cette période. Cormier était également le nom de jeune fille de la mère d'Antonine Maillet, laquelle est la narratrice de son premier ouvrage.

Ces livres existent bel et bien individuellement, mais sont réunis en un seul volume pour cet édition. Bien que son éditeur canadien soit Leméac (Montréal), cet ouvrage a été publié en 1977 par Marabout, en Belgique. Je l'ai commandé en ligne auprès d'un libraire français spécialisé dans les livres usagés. Toujours à l'aide de Photoshop et de quelques astuces de numérisation, j'ai créé deux nouveaux dos de livre et ensuite recouvert un second bouquin de même format pour réaliser "On a mangé la dune".

Bien entendu, les fleurs lui sont destinées. Quant à la boîte de soupe Campbell's, je tenais à y ajouter une touche d'humour et une référence à la cuisine acadienne. La boîte de soupe Campbell's est évidemment un clin d'œil à Andy Warhol. Situé à Camden, dans le New Jersey, le siège social de Campbell's se trouve juste de l'autre côté du fleuve Delaware, à seulement 4 km (2,5 miles) de Philadelphie. Si le périple d'Évangéline, l'héroïne de Longfellow, s'achevait à Philadelphie, Pélagie — personnage du roman "Pélagie-la-Charrette" d'Antonine Maillet — y arrive en 1776, au chapitre 12. C'est là qu'elle rencontre Beausoleil Broussard, avec qui je partage un ancêtre commun : Michel Sansoucy Richard, venu de France entre 1651 et 1654.

Antonine Maillet s'est éteinte le 17 février 2025, alors que je travaillais sur cette peinture. Par un curieux hasard, ce matin-là, en descendant l'escalier, j'ai entendu mon épouse Suzanne — qui regardait la chaîne Radio-Canada ICI Télé — annoncer la nouvelle de son décès. En tournant les yeux vers l'écran, j'ai vu une image figée de l'écrivaine marchant sur la même promenade en bois que celle figurant dans mon tableau. Bien qu'elle ait passé la majeure partie de sa vie d'adulte à Montréal, elle possédait un magnifique chalet en forme de phare, située à quelques kilomètres seulement de cette promenade.

Elle était la tante de Cécile Maillet, l'une de nos amies les plus proches, également infirmière. Je me souviens avoir brièvement rencontré Antonine Maillet au début des années 1980, chez ses parents. Je dois beaucoup à Cécile. À l'automne 1986, c'est elle qui m'a convaincue de suivre, à ses côtés, un cours de dessin de perspective de dix semaines enseigné par Sylvain Arseneau. La dernière séance était consacrée à une initiation à la peinture acrylique. Quelques mois plus tard, je réalisais ma première toile en toute autonomie. Elle a également joué un rôle majeur dans mon éveil spirituel. Malheureusement, alors qu'elle s'apprêtait à prendre sa retraite comme d'infirmière, elle a été percutée par l'arrière par un camping-car lors d'une sortie à vélo et a subi un traumatisme crânien majeur. Elle est décédée l'an dernier, à l'âge de 69 ans, après avoir passé plusieurs années en établissement de soins de longue durée.

Antonine Maillet et sa nièce Cécile partagaient le même type d’idéalisme : elles étaient des femmes indépendantes, anticonformistes — des esprits libres.

Cécile Maillet

L'un des aspects de la peinture que je trouve particulièrement difficile est la représentation d'éléments flous. Lorsque j'ai réalisé l'étude photographique sur place pour ce tableau avec mon Google Pixel 7, seuls les livres et les fleurs étaient parfaitement en focus; j'avais omis de photographier la structure elle-même, notamment les rampes et les planches de la passerelle. J'ai eu beaucoup de mal avec la zone située immédiatement à gauche, derrière les livres. La semaine dernière, j'ai décidé de retirer le vernis de cette partie à l'aide d'essence de térébenthine distillée pour retenter ma chance afin de créer une image plus harmonieuse. C'est là que mes compétences en dessin de perspective m'ont bien servi : j'ai en effet réinventé cette section en y intégrant une rampe totalement différente.

Ces deux tableaux rendant hommage à Antonine Maillet ont été conçus à l'origine comme soumission au programme d'acquisition pour la Banque d'œuvres d'art du Nouveau-Brunswick (2026). Malheureusement, ils n'ont pas été retenus par le jury. Cette exposition leurs donne une fenêtre de voir le grand jour. 

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A postage stamp of Antonine Maillet was issued by Canada Post on November 27, 2024. One has been affixed on the back of each frame. 

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Un timbre à l’effigie d’Antonine Maillet a été émis par Postes Canada le 27 novembre 2024. L’un d’eux a été apposé au dos des deux cadres.

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This is a sister painting of the previous, paying homage to author Antonine Maillet. The setting for this work is at the Bouctouche Dune, more precisely, the Irving Eco-Centre and Boardwalk in St-Edouard, NB. 

The two books for this composition were her first two novels. "Pointe-aux-Coques" published in 1958 earned her the Prix Champlain followed by "On a mangé la dune" in 1962.  The second work marks a crucial stylistic break. Antonine Maillet begins to detach herself from classical French, allowing the young protagonist of the novel to express herself in her own words. This paved the way for the use of the Acadian dialect that would later bring the author international renown. These two novels are semi-autobiographical. The fictional village of Pointe-aux-Coques is based on Richibouctou-Village and Cap-de-Richibouctou (Cap-Lumière). 

Right after earning her bachelor's degree. Maillet joined the congregation of the Sisters of Notre-Dame-du-Sacré-Cœur in 1950 at the age of 21. Her time in the religious community spanned from 1950-1967. Early in her career, like her parents, she started out as a teacher. Her first teaching job was in Cap-Lumière around 1950. According to my late father, that schoolhouse would have been located 400m from the house I grew up in. My godmother, then Rachelle Cormier thought with her during this period. Cormier was also Maillet's own mother's family name who is the narrator of her first offering.

These specific books do exist individually, but in one single volume for this edition. While her Canadian publisher is Leméac in Montréal, this book was published by Marabout in 1977 out of Belgium. I ordered it on-line from a French used book retailer. Again, with the help of Photoshop and some scanning tricks, I created two new spines and wrapped a second book of the same size to create "On a mangé la dune". 

Of course, the flowers are for her. As for the Campbell's soup can, I had to add some humour and Acadian cuisine in the mix. In English, these titles translate to "Clam Point" (Pointe-aux-Coques) and "We Ate the Dune" (On a mangé la dune), while "Clam Chowder" is the translation for Chaudrée aux coques. Of course, the Campbell's Soup can is a wink to Andy Warhol. Located in Camden, New Jersey, the Campbell's headquarters sits just across the Delaware River - only 4 km (2.5 miles) from Philadelphia.  While Longfellow's Evangeline's peril ended in Philadelphia, Pélagie in Maillet's "Pélagie-la-Charette", arrives in Philadelphia in 1776 at chapter 12. Here, she meets Beausoleil Broussard with whom I share the same ancestor- Michel Sansoucy Richard who immigrated from France circa 1651-1654.  

Antonine Maillet died on February 17, 2025 while I was working on this painting. Ironically, coming down the stairs that morning, my wife Suzanne was watching Radio-Canada ICI Télé and announced her passing. As I looked at the TV, the image on the screen on pause was her walking on the same boardwalk as in my painting. While she had lived most of her adult life in Montreal, she owned a beautiful cottage in the shape of a lighthouse only a few kilometers from the boardwalk.

 

 

She was the aunt of one of our closest friend and fellow nurse Cécile Maillet. I remember meeting Antonine Maillet briefly during the early 1980's at her parent's house. I owe a lot to Cécile. During the fall of 1986, it was her who coaxed me to join her in taking a perspective drawing course over a 10 week period with Sylvain Arseneau. The last session was an introduction to acrylic painting. A few months later, I would complete a first painting on my own. She also played a great role in my spiritual awakening. Sadly, pending her retirement from nursing, she was hit from behind by a motorhome while on a bike ride and suffered a major brain trauma. She also passed away last year at the age of 69, after spending several years in a nursing home. 

Antonine Maillet and her niece Cécile shared the same kind of idealism: they were independent, nonconformist women—free spirits.

One aspect of painting that I find particularly difficult is painting anything that is out of focus. When I did the photo study on site for this painting with my Google Pixel 7, only the books and flowers were in full focus. I omitted to take pictures of the structure itself, railings and deck board. I truly struggled with the immediate left section behind the books. This past week, I decided to remove the varnish on that section of the boardwalk with distilled turpentine and give it another go in order to create an image that was more harmonious. This is when my perspective drawing skills served me well. I did re-invent that section with an all-together different railing.

These two paintings paying homage to Antonine Maillet were initially conceived as a submission to the 2026 New Brunswick Art Bank acquisition program. Unfortunately, they were not retained by the jury, but this exhibition still gives them a window to see the light of day.

This painting will part of my two-person show with Jon Wilkinson entitled- 

''Still Lives, Still Places'' 

held at the Fog Forest Gallery 

from October 16 - November 6, 2026.

Gallery hours - Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment. 

To acquire this painting, please contact the gallery. 
Fog Forest Gallery
14 Bridge Street
Sackville, NB, Canada
(506) 536-9000
website- http:/fogforestgallery.ca

Le Pays de la Sagouine, un hommage à Antonine Maillet

 

14 x 11", acrylic on cradle aluminium panel

painting #300, 2025 - black wooden floater frame

ENGLISH TO FOLLOW -

J'ai grandi à Cap-Lumière, au Nouveau-Brunswick, à moins de 30 km de Bouctouche. Cette ville est connue pour être le lieu de naissance de la célèbre romancière, dramaturge et universitaire acadienne Antonine Maillet (1929-2025), ainsi que de K.C. Irving (1899-1992), milliardaire et homme d'affaires ayant bâti un empire couvrant les secteurs de l'énergie, de l'exploitation forestière, du commerce et des médias. Leurs contributions à la société diffèrent radicalement, tout comme leurs héritages respectifs. La dynastie industrielle de K.C. Irving exerce toujours une influence économique et sociale sans pareille sur le Canada atlantique — et plus particulièrement sur le Nouveau-Brunswick —, tandis que l'héritage d'Antonine Maillet a permis de porter l'histoire, l'identité et la langue parlée unique du peuple acadien sur la scène internationale.

Ce tableau rend hommage à cette grande dame. J'ai choisi le site du Pays de la Sagouine pour encadrer cette composition. Cette attraction touristique a été inaugurée en 1992 sur l'île aux Puces, située sur la rivière Bouctouche. Elle a vu le jour grâce au succès de la pièce de théatre La Sagouine, écrite par Mme Maillet en 1971. Ce succès doit autant au talent de conteuse de l'auteure qu'à l'interprétation magistrale de Viola Léger (1930-2023). Durant 45 ans (de 1971 à 2016), cette dernière a incarné le personnage plus de 3 000 fois, que ce soit sur scène, au cinéma ou à la télévision, au Canada, aux États-Unis et en Europe. Au fil des ans, ce lieu touristique a évolué pour devenir une forme de théâtre vivant où de nombreux personnages créés par Mme Maillet prennent vie dans des sketches, tout en célébrant la culture, la cuisine, la musique et le folklore acadien.

Antonine Maillet et Le Pays de la Sagouine.

La comédienne Solange LeBlanc, qui décrit le site est ma deuxième cousine.

En 2023, sur la partie terrestre du parc, Le Pays de la Sagouine a inauguré en partenariat avec le studio multimédia de renommée mondiale Moment Factory — un parcours nocturne enchanté de 1,5 km baptisé « Akadi Lumina ». Ce parcours forestier multisensoriel mêle une installation lumineuse saisissante, un spectacle laser, des projections vidéo et une bande sonore originale puissante pour créer une expérience immersive magique et féerique. Il évoque également l'histoire du peuple acadien : sa joie de vivre, sa résilience, son folklore et son passé maritime.

Akadi Lumina- 2024-10-14

Les livres que j'ai choisi de mettre en vedette sont les deux œuvres pour lesquelles elle est le plus connue. "Pélagie-la-Charrette" a été publié en 1979 et lui a valu le prix Goncourt, largement reconnu comme la distinction littéraire de langue française la plus prestigieuse au monde. Dès son annonce, l'ouvrage est devenu un best-seller, s'écoulant à plus d'un million d'exemplaires. J'étais alors en douzaine année au secondaire. Notre école en a rapidement acquis un grand nombre, et sa lecture est devenue obligatoire pour un résumé de livre lors de notre cours de français. Je me souviens que c'était une lecture assez difficile. Pendant que je peignais, je me suis rafraîchi la mémoire en écoutant le livre audio lu par la brillante Diane Losier, disponible sur Radio-Canada Ohdio (disponible ICI). Maillet demeure à ce jour la seule Canadienne à avoir reçu le prix Goncourt.

Contrairement au poème narratif épique "Evangeline" de Longfellow, qui suit la protagoniste après la déportation des Acadiens par les Britanniques en 1755, 'Pélagie-la-Charrette" propose un contre-récit audacieux et contestataire. Alors qu'Évangéline est une figure romantique et tragique qui souffre en silence et se soumet à son sort, Pélagie est une veuve hardie et déterminée, pleine d'espoir, de courage et d'une obstination rebelle ; elle guide activement son peuple dans une odyssée de dix ans pour regagner sa terre natale depuis le sud des États-Unis.

Le second livre comprend deux de ses pièces de théâtre : La Sagouine et Évangéline Deusse. Comme ces deux livres sont assez minces, j'ai créé, à l'aide de Photoshop, un nouveau dos de livre combinant les deux ouvrages pour les besoins de ce tableau. J'ai également dû inverser le sens des titres et du nom de l'auteur sur le dos du livre, car tous les ouvrages publiés en français se lisent du bas vers le haut, et non du haut vers le bas. En intitulant la pièce "Évangeline Deusse" (la seconde), Maillet créait délibérément une version moderne et réinventée de l'héroïne légendaire de Longfellow. Ce titre indique clairement que ce personnage constitue une rupture totale avec l'Évangeline originale du XIXe siècle — cette victime tragique, jeune et soumise qui subit son exil en silence. À l'opposé, l'Évangeline Deusse de Maillet est une femme de 80 ans obstinée, indépendante et joyeuse. Malgré son âge et son déracinement, elle refuse qu'on la plaigne ou qu'on l'arrache à sa terre.

Les deux livres de gauche appartenaient à ma grand-mère partenelle.

L'illustration sur la couverture de "La Sagouine" est le "Portrait d'une vieille femme" (vers 1564), œuvre de l'artiste flamand Pieter Brueghel.

L'exemplaire d'Évangeline Deusse porte une dédicace

adressée à ma grand-mère ; elle lui avait été offert par ma marraine pour Noël.

« Pour Edmée, cette Évangéline Deusse, qui aime bien les gens qui ont passé le cap des quatre-vingts ans »                                — Antonine Maillet

"La Sagouine", interprétée par Viola Léger, fut en fait la toute première pièce de théâtre que j'ai assisté, alors que j'étais une jeune adulte (à la fin de l'adolescence ou au début de la vingtaine). La deuxième pièce à laquelle j'ai assisté mettait également en vedette Viola Léger dans le rôle principal, cette fois dans Harold et Maude. Le rôle d'Harold était tenu par un jeune acteur encore inconnu, Roy Dupuis, qui allait bientôt devenir une vedette majeure du cinéma et de la télévision Québecoise tout au long des années 1990 et au début des années 2000. Mme Léger a siègé au Sénat du Canada à Ottawa de 2001 à 2005.

Avec Viola Léger, Pays de la Sagouine, 1994.

Cette oeuvre marque une étape importante puisqu'il s'agit de ma 300e peinture originale.

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ENGLISH TEXT

Growing up in Cap-Lumière, NB, we lived less than 30 km from Bouctouche. This town is known for being the birthplace of celebrated Acadian novelist, playwright and scholar Antonine Maillet (1929-2025) and of K.C. Irving (1899-1992), a billionaire and businessman who built an empire spread across energy, logging, commerce and news media. Their contribution to society are completely different as are their legacies. K.C Irving industrial dynasty still holds unparalleled economic and social influence over Atlantic Canada, particularly New Brunswick, while Antonine Maillet's legacy served for elevating the history, identity and unique spoken language of the Acadian people to the world stage.

This painting is an homage to the great dame herself. I chose the setting of Le Pays de la Sagouine to anchor this composition. This tourist attraction was established in 1992 on L'Île-aux-puces (Flea Island) located on the Bouctouche River. It was developed following the success of the one-woman play of La Sagouine written by Maillet in 1971. It's success was not only attributed to her narrative as a story teller, but to brilliant interpretation by Viola Leger, whom for 45 years (1971-2016) embodied the character more than 3000 times on stage, film and television in Canada, the United States and Europe. Over the years, this tourist attraction has grown to become a form of living theatre where many of Maillet's character come to life in sketches while celebrating Acadian culture, cuisine, music and folklore. 

In 2023, on the mainland of this park, in partnership with world-renown multimedia studio Moment Factory, Le Pays de la Sagouine opened a 1.5 km enchanted night walk trail called Akadi Lumina. This multisensory forest journey blends striking light installation, laser show, video projection and a powerful original soundtrack creating a magical and whimsical immersive experience. It also recall the story of the Acadian people - their joie de vivre, resilience, folklore and maritime history.

The books I chose to showcase are the two for which she is best known for. Pélagie-La-Charette was published in 1979 and earned her le Prix Goncourt (Goncourt Prize). Widely recognized as the most prestigious prize in French literature in the world. When it was announced, it instantly became a bestseller, selling over 1 million copies. At the time, I was in grade 12. Our school quickly acquired a large lot and it became compulsory reading for a book report. I remember that it was somewhat of a difficult read. While I was painting, I refreshed my memory by listening to the audiobook read by the brilliant Diane Losier, available on Radio-Canada Ohdio. Maillet remains the only Canadian to ever be awarded Le Prix Goncourt. 

Unlike the narrative epic poem of Evangeline by Longfellow that follows the protagonist after the deportation of Acadians by the British in 1755, Pélagie-la-Charette takes a direct defiant counter-narrative to it. While Evangeline is a tragic, romantic figure who suffers quietly and submits to her circumstances, Pélagie is a bold and determined widow driven by hope, courage and stubborn defiance who actively leads her people on a 10 year odyssey back to their homeland from the American South. 

The second book are two of her plays, La Sagouine and Évangéline Deusse (the Second). Since both of these books are rather small, with the help of Photoshop, I created a new spine combining both books for the narrative of this painting. I also had to flip the titles and name of the author on the spine, since all books published in French read from bottom to top instead of top to bottom. 

By calling the play Évangeline Deusse (the Second), Maillet was purposefully creating a modern, reinvented version of Longfellow’s legendary heroine. Her title directly signals that this character is a complete rejection of the 19th-century original Evangeline as a tragic, youthful, and submissive victim who quietly suffers her exile. By contrast, Maillet's Évangeline Deusse is a stubborn, independent, and joyful 80-year-old woman. Despite her age and her displacement, she refuses to be pitied or uprooted. 

La Sagouine played by Viola Léger was actually the first ever live play that I attended either as a late teen or early twenties. The second play that I attended also featured Viola Léger in the lead role in Harold & Maude. Harold was played by a then unknown young actor named Roy Dupuis, who would soon become a major star in Quebec cinema and television throughout the 1990's and early 2000's. Viola Léger was appointed to the Canadian Senate in Ottawa from 2001-2005.

This work marked a milestone, being my 300th original painting. 

This painting will part of my two-person show with Jon Wilkinson entitled- 

''Still Lives, Still Places'' 

at the Fog Forest Gallery from October 16 - November 6, 2026.

Gallery hours - Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment. 

To acquire this painting, please contact the gallery. 
Fog Forest Gallery
14 Bridge Street
Sackville, NB, Canada
(506) 536-9000
website- http:/fogforestgallery.ca

Two-Man Show at the Fog Forest Gallery

 I will be having a two-man show with the late great Jon Wilkinson (1940-2012) at the Fog Forest Gallery in Sackville, NB. The exhibition entitled - Still Lives, Still Places opens on October 16 and runs until November 6, 2026.

The opening reception will be held on Friday October 23 from 4:30 to 6 pm. All are welcome.

My lot will comprise of 14 paintings, 13 new, plus one recent. This post is a sneak peek of the paintings that I will be presenting. I will be creating a post for each during the following days.

The Fog Forest Gallery is located at 14 Bridge Street in Sackville, NB. Please note that gallery hours are limited to Thursdays and Fridays from 10 am to 5 pm or by appointment.

https://fogforestgallery.ca/

Polaroids, an homage to Andy Warhol

14 x 11", acrylic on mounted gessoed aluminium panel

painting #304, 2025

Call it happenstance. As I was about to start this painting, Radio-Canada Television (French CBC) aired the PBS documentary, Mr. Polaroid during an episode of Découverte on October 26. While focusing mainly of Edwin Land's long process of inventing the Polaroid camera and how quickly it evolved thereafter, it also surveys several of his many inventions and his involvement with the US government. 

 

Two years ago, I landed on this book while browsing in the small book aisle at Homesense. ANDY WARHOL Polaroids 1958-1987 was published by Taschen in 2020 with model, singer-songwriter, actress Grace Jones on its cover. 

 

The original Polaroid OneStep camera was introduced in 1977. It became an instant best seller and a global phenomenon. I once owned a One Step during the mid eighties, which was probably influenced by Nick Rhodes, the keyboard player of Duran Duran who was becoming a photographer in his own right and often hung out at the Factory with Andy Warhol (he appears on page 374).

A week after acquiring this book, I found a listing for a One Step Polaroid camera on eBay. I knew instantly that I was going to use it as a prop for a painting. In the meanwhile they were displayed together in an open shelf console television table in the den next to my studio. 

The One Step Polaroid Land Camera uses SX-70 film. That code was often used as reference for the iconic square format of the picture with a distinctive white border that is wider on the bottom if you wished to write on them. Polaroid images are known for their soft-hued, slightly out-of-focus, and dreamy visual style. The colors may not be perfectly true to life, and lighting can be unpredictable, contributing to an authentic, "imperfectly perfect" charm that digital photography often imitates with filters.

Andy Warhol died on February 22, 1987 at the age of 58 following complications after gall bladder surgery. I would actually complete my first original painting that same month. I've always felt a strong attraction to his body of work. While furniture shopping at IKEA shortly after my wife and I married in 1986, we stumble upon the last remaining Warhol exhibition poster of Ingrid Bergman (with hat) printed by Galerie Borjesön in Malmö Sweden. Since it was the last poster and the one in the display case, I asked if I could buy it. After consulting the floor manager, it was discounted for $2. These are still available and often sell upwards of a grand. 

The Andy Warhol self-portrait image used for my painting is from a serigraph on canvas he created in 1964. Like many of his serigraph prints, he used that same image and produced a whole series in various colors. Christies recently sold one at auction for 3,300,000 USD. On August 10, 2002, the US Postal Service (USPS) issued a 37 cents stamp honoring Andy Warhol using the same 1964 imagery. This is quite possibly the least amount of money you can spend to acquire a Warhol. I've affixed one of these stamps on the back of my painting. 

As for Andy Warhol's Polaroids, they are also highly sought after. These were often used as reference photographs for his silkscreen prints of celebrities and other subject matter.  Artsy has a page dedicated to these original photographs, selling upwards of 20,000 USD each. 

This painting is part of a group exhibition entitled 

ENCHANTED - Nov. 14 - Dec. 31, 2025

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Racines Acadiennes

 

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 an homage honoring their ancestors and 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 fine arts 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 raised his family with his wife. He paints with an economy of brush strokes using bold and expressive colors exploring rural life and the landscape of Eastern Canada. He was a friend of the Quebec artist Tex Lecor. It's evident that they were influenced by the artists of the Group of Seven. I visited his studio during the mid 1990's and acquired one of his iconic paintings.

Prior to the publishing of this book, the wooded Roman Catholic Church in Sainte-Anne-de-Kent 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 zoning out 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 removeable pieces of artwork were saved. Growing up in Cap-Lumière, I was an alter boy while attending church in Richibouctou-Village. A massive 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 looming 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. I proposed using my Preserve mason jar for the peonies, her favorite flower. The original purpose of these canning jar is to preserve food. Symbolically, I often use them as a vehicle for preserving memories. The composition rests on is a Danish/Scandinavian inspired mid-century modern side table. This piece of furniture had sentimental value to her since it brought flair and style to her former workplace. I was pretty much given full artistic license as they wanted the artwork to be painted in my signature style. I chose an outdoor setting as I wanted the peonies to bask in natural light. 

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

Lollies for Dali, an homage

14 x 11 inches, acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel               

 painting #299, 2024 - black floater frame 

While window shopping in Halifax a decade ago, I entered the Freak Lunchbox candy store on Barrington Street. I was aware of the existence of Chupa Chups lollipops, but I think that it was the first time that I actually saw some in person. The sight of them gave me a visceral response, so I bought two. Upon my return home, I did a Google search about this candy on a stick. Chupa Chups is a Spanish brand of lollipops and confectionary founded in 1958 by Enric Bernat.    

In 1969, Salvador Dali was approached to reinvent their logo. He would set the Chupa Chups name inside a daisy shape flower and suggested that the logo be place on top of the lolly instead of its' side. It would soon become one of those iconic commercial logos and help propulse the brand. 

Click to view this entertaining bio of Dali

Upon learning this, I knew I had to paint these while paying an homage to Salvador Dali. I would soon acquire a coffee table book entitled Dali Pop-Ups by Courtney Watson McCarthy. The book features the Persistance of Memory on its cover which seemed fitting to anchor a composition. Since these lollipops were hard to find in New Brunswick, I ordered a dozen from an on-line vendor. When they arrived, they were much smaller than I had anticipating, so I decided to put this painting on hold for the time being. Almost a decade would go by.

While standing inline at a self checkout at Walmart this past summer, I spotted a few open boxes of XXL Chupa Chups in the now so-call candy aisle. These were the size that I had envisioned for a painting, so I bought six. In keeping with the narrative, I changed Ball to Dali on the vintage mason jar. It was quite the challenge to paint.     

                                          _________________

My love affair of visiting art galleries and museums across North America and Europe began soon after I began painting in 1987. Among the firsts, was the Beaverbrook Art Gallery (BAG) in Fredericton, the designated art museum of the province of New Brunswick. It was here that I was introduced to the art of surrealist painter/artist Salvador Dali. The gallery owns no less than five of his paintings, among them is one of his masterworks, Santiago El Grande painted in 1957.

This painting was first exhibited as the centerpiece inside the Spanish Pavilion at the 1958 Brussels World's Fair. Once the fair closed, the massive painting was acquired by Lady Dunn (Marcia Anastasia Christoforides), wife of the late James Dunn. It was gifted to the Beaverbrook Art Gallery when it opened in 1959. The Dunn's had established a relationship with Dali since that late 1940's, having commissioned three portraits paintings that also hang in the Beaverbrook.

Santiago El Grande, oil on canvas, 1957

Beaverbrook Art Gallery, November 2022.

After many visits to the BAG, it's quite possibly the painting that I've spent the most time admiring inside an art museum during my lifetime.  I was finally able to connect the dots and fully grasp the scope of the imagery with its symbolism and metaphors during the process of preparing my 800 km hike on the Camino de Santiago back in 2009 (Way of Saint James). 

Santiago El Grande translates to Saint James the Great, who's the patron saint of Spain. Legends has it that the apostle James the Great made a miraculous apparition at the Battle of Clavijo during the Reconquista, helping the Christians conquer the Muslim Moors during middle ages. In art, Saint James is often depicted on a white horse while holding a sword and given the name of Moor-slayer. In this Salvador Dali's painting, the sword has been replaced by a crucifix made of light beams with Jesus looking towards heaven. His hands are not nailed to the cross but are facing upwards while forming the shape of cups. Symbolically holding all of the sins of the world.  

Video description of Salvador Dali's paintings

at the BAG, narrated by John Leroux, art historian and 

currently manager of the collections and exhibitions at the Beaverbrook Art Gallery.

In 2005, we visited the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. It houses a comprehensive collection of more that 2400 works of all kinds, spanning the entire artistic career of Dali. The collection was acquired over a 40 year period by art patron and friends of Dali, Ohio couple Reynolds and Eleanor Reese Morse. The museum is the home to more masterpieces of Dalí than any other museum in the world, including eight large-scale paintings. In 2011, the collection was moved into a new modern day storm secure complex. 

Self in from of the old Salvador Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Fla. - 2005

My son Jean-Luc, age 10, napping on a melting clock bench at the Salvador 

Dali Museum, St. Petersburg, Fla. 2005.

Over the years, I had a chance to see, The Persistance of Memory up-close on several occasions. Housed in the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City, although smallish, it's considered by many to be his most famous painting. I've also had the good fortune to view countless others during my travels and was pleasantly surprise to even discover a few at Musei Vaticani in Vatican City.  

While vacationing in Torremolinos, Spain this spring, we rented a condo-apartment for one week. Less than a km away, along the sea-side promenade are two sculptures of Salvador Dali and his wife Gala who stayed here during the spring of 1930.   

Sculpture of painter Salvador Dali and his muse Gala, 

whom between April and May 1930 resided in the Santa Clara Guesthouse, 

where Dali created the painting "The Invisible Man". 

Avant-garde poets Manuel Altolaguirre and Emilio Prados are the two other figures

who were part of the Generation of '27.

This painting is currently on view at the Fog Forest Gallery in a group exhibition entitled, "Winter Songs" - Nov. 15 to Dec. 31, 2024. (painting will be removed from exhibition if sold). Check website for gallery hours.

To acquire this painting please contact: 

Fog Forest Gallery

14 Bridge Street, Sackville,

New Brunswick, Canada, E4L 3N5

Phone (506) 536-9000

https://fogforestgallery.ca/

e-mail: janet@fogforstgallery.ca

-SOLD

Platform 9 ¾, the Portal to Hogwarts

 

12 x 12 inches, acrylic on gessoed mounted aluminium panel               

 painting #298, 2024 - black floater frame 

I first discovered the Harry Potter books through the Rosie O'Donnell Show in the late 1990's. Rosie was a fanatic from the get go and promoted not only the books, but its author J.K. Rowling (Joanne Rowling), the film series that followed and its stars. I started buying the books at Costco not long after, and anticipating each new releases which totalled seven in the series. Each new book became an event with people lining outside book stores for hours if not days before its release. I read the first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone during the month of November/December 2000. 

A great author has a way of keeping the reader engaged. J.K. Rowling's creative story telling, imagination and the whole fantasy world she created just sparked my imagination and painted every scene in my head with details and wonderment. When the films started coming out, I was awestruck by how they were able to recreate that whole world on celluloid. 

Much like the books series that broke sale records, the blockbuster motion pictures were equally on par as a cultural phenomenon. Not to mention all of the derived commercial products associated with this franchise that are still being produced for their legions of fans. The seven books has been translated in over 80 languages and sold in excess of 520 millions copies. On a 1,2 billion dollar budget, the movie franchise comprising of eight films has made a whopping 7,7 billion dollars at the box office. The films which stared then newcomers Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter), Rupert Grint (Ron Weasley) and Emma Watson (Hermione Granger) were surrounded by a stellar cast of the most celebrated British actors including Maggie Smith, Ian McKellen, Emma Thompson, Alan Rickman, Robbie Coltrane, Richard Harris, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter, Ralph Fiennes, Imelda Stanton, John Hurt, Kenneth Branagh and many more.

Platform 9¾, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (movie scene) 

I ended reading five of the seven books. The only reason why I didn't read the last two was because I had changed jobs and devoted less time for reading. Not because they weren't captivating.  

When the first film was released, it became the highest-grossing film of 2001 and the second-highest-grossing film of all-time after The Titanic. My son Jean-Luc's childhood revolved around LEGOS. When he was six years old, he asked Santa for the Hogwarts Castle for Christmas. Harry Potter Lego sets started coming out during the release of the first film. He had seen it at Costco so when he found it under the tree on Christmas morning, he was as surprised as I was. We spend that whole morning setting it up. Jean-Luc has a very creative imagination, so it wasn't long until he dismantled it and elaborated other versions combining other Lego sets from his collection. 

Jean-Luc with his re-invented Hogwarts Castle, 2002 (age 6 or 7)

In 2010, when Jean-Luc was 15 years old, we visited London and did a few day trips in England. He is still to this day a big supporter of Chelsea Football Club. While we weren't lucky enough to get tickets to see them play a soccer game, we did go on a tour of Stamford Bridge, the stadium where they play. However, we were fortunate to attend a match when Manchester City was visiting West Ham F.C. 

During one of our day trips, we visited the campus of Oxford University. Christ Church College provided the location for many Harry Potter scenes. The staircase below was used to film the famous entrance scene where Professor McGonagall meets Harry, Ron and Hermione. 

Oxford University, May 2010

The staircase then leads up to the Tudor Great Dining Hall which served as inspiration for the great Hogwarts Dining Hall. The hallways of Christ Church were also used to film the scene in which Hermione shows Harry the Quidditch trophy his late father had won.

Oxford University, May 2010

Fast forward 2019, when Jean-Luc was 24, he and I hiked the Portuguese Way on the Camino from Porto, Portugal to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Our 10 day walking trek covered 240 km. Before departing, we visited Porto for two days. JK Rowling lived in Porto from 1991-1993, where she wrote the first three chapters of the first Harry Potter book. The famous Livraria Lello's bookstore's interior is rumored to have inspired the book shop Flourish and Blotts in Daigon Alley for the serial. 

My son Jean-Luc, Porto, July 2019.

Signed by JK Rowling, Livraria Lello bookstore, Porto, July 2019.

Back in 2001, Jean-Luc was collecting Harry Potter trading cards which was part of a card game. I would later incorporate some of these in a painting entitled "Trading Cards".

Trading Cards, 16 x 12", acrylic, painting #64, 2004

This current painting, "Platform 9¾, the Portal to Hogwarts" has been on the backburner for more than 10 years. I initially did of a photo study session back in 2013, but somehow felt the time wasn't right to paint it until now. 

Last month, Jean-Luc, now 29 got married to his sweetheart Jessica. Even the rain could not dampen that day. They exchanged vows in a small garden wedding on her father's property. Many of their close friends had small roles in making it the most memorable wedding that I've attended. I even pitched in by making the wedding cake and cupcakes. This painting seemed like a perfect wedding gift for them both. Jessica is also a fan of the Harry Potter series and is currently reading the books. Jean-Luc recently mentioned that they've watched the films numerous times on DVD since they've been together. I'm happy that this painting will remain in the family since Harry Potter is linked to my son since childhood and continues to follow him in his adult life with his wife. 

Jean-Luc and Jessica's Wedding, Sept. 2024

I had acquired the Harry Potter glasses more than a decade ago as a prop for the composition. All seven books do appear in my painting. These were published by Bloomsbury/ Raincoast in Canada, sharing the same artwork on their book covers as the UK editions. In the US, the books were published by Scholastic with completely different artwork.  

The art cover for the first book for Bloomsbury was a pencil/watercolour by illustrator Thomas Taylor showing Harry boarding the Hogwarts Express. The following books in the series featured more fantasy styled artwork created by Cliff Wright (books 2 & 3), Giles Greenfield (Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire) and Jason Cockroft (last three books).

Illustrations and studies for Harry Potter by Giles Greenfield.

I completed this painting on September 27. Later that same day, I was sadden to  learned that Maggie Smith, who played the role of Professor Minerva McGonagall in film series had died at the age of 89. Of course she is also known for her scene stealing, multi-award winning role of Violet Crawley, Dowager Countess of Grantham in the British period drama Downton Abbey.   

-Private Collection