Artists - like hikers - long have found that the Oak Ridges Moraine offers beautiful & inspiring landscapes. From time to time, Trail Talk features the work of such artists. We are grateful to Patrice Stephens-Bourgeault for the cover art in this issue. Painted in 1992 in chalk pastel, it depicts a scene near Claremont. It can be viewed in glorious colour along with a selection of other paintings on Patrice's web gallery at <www.studiopatrice.com>.
Patrice is a "plein-air" artist who combines impressionism with tradional fine art to produce a warmth and freedom that excites and captivates the viewer's attention.
Patrice's first introduction to painting occurred in France, where she lived for three years during her mid teens. The Impressionist painters and the areas they painted influenced her greatly. Then, in her early twenties, a few years in a small High Eastern Arctic settlement brought her attention to the interaction of people with their environment. These two influences made her realize that anthropology could be expressed through painting.
Her career in painting is supported by an Honours B.A. from U of T, specializing in Canadian anthropology, with a minor in studio arts, and a four year special arts program from Central Technical School. She contributes to the community by being a night school and supply teacher for figure drawing, still life and portraiture, and volunteering at community activities.
Patrice's versatility in medium and subject matter is shown in her landscapes, still life and portraits done in French pastels and oil paints. This versatility is confirmed in paintings that she does while presently working as the artist for the Centre of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology at the ROM.
She favours drawing from life, on location, rather than from photos, combining impressionism and realism with colour, form and movement in a way that excites and captivates the viewer's attention. The paintings reveal a subject matter more real than what you see with your own eyes or through the lenses of a camera. Silverware and lakes shimmer. Clouds move. Sunsets and flowers glow.