Catherine Marchand
How did you get into the industry?
Art was the only subject in school that I loved, and drawing the face intrigued me the most. I would practice on friends and even strangers on buses and if I was lucky, wrangle a few dollars for my efforts. But my first real venture into the world of the arts was in Windsor, Ontario, where I grew up. I was privileged to train under master glass blower, Wolfgang Randolf Eberhart. From him, I learnt the specialized skill of sculpting glass into various forms, including the figure. I did this for about six years but then work and art were put on the back burner while I not only raised my family, but homeschooled for next 13 years. Throughout this time at home I was always into some form of creativity but it wasn’t until 1994 (after I was done as mom and teacher) that I started my formal training. I earned my Realist Art Diploma from Artra Art School under the tutelage of Frank Haddock. From there, I furthered my training on my own, gobbling up every art book I could and travelling across Canada for other workshops that might help me improve my skills. My work keeps evolving as time goes on and there is still much to learn; I can’t wait to see what my next painting will be, it is always my best yet.
Why did you get into the industry?
All my life I have had such a strong desire to make beautiful things. During my time at home, all my extra time went into decorating and crafts of some sort, but nothing I did before in my creative pursuits, (including artistic glass blowing) felt so right as what I do now. From the time I picked up the brush, I knew this was what I was meant to be doing and I can’t imagine doing anything else for the rest of my life….I am passionate about it!
Did anyone inspire you or do you have a mentor?
My mom was the first person to inspire me. She painted florals so beautifully and her medium was oils. Once I started my training at Artra, I went to one of my moms’ art classes in BC and tried my hand at oils. I came back to Edmonton and switched from acrylics to oils immediately; I loved it! From that moment on there was no going back.
Frank Haddock was my main teacher and mentor and I learned all my foundation skills from him. He does wonderful watercolor with figures; no one I know does more beautiful work. I did need to find other mentors to help when I switched to oils and that’s when I went to the Toronto Art School for some classes as well as Quadra Island where I took a course with Perrin Sparks. She specializes in Portraiture in Oils and is amazing. For other artists who inspire me, I would say I like the work of Pino the most. His refined faces, big expressive brush strokes and bold use of color, even on the skin, fascinate me. His style reminds me to be relaxed and loose in my work and to let my creative juices flow.
How long have you been at this?
I almost hate to tell people, it’s only been four years. I feel I haven’t paid my dues so to speak; so many wonderful artists have been working for 20 years or more and haven’t had the opportunities I have, so I feel blessed. But I also know I’ve worked very hard to catch up since I started late in life. I’m one to push myself anyway, and many times I’m painting till midnight. I usually have a commission I need to get done and if not, I’m working on something I love, and don’t want to stop. All I know is the time has been short, but the work has been full and rewarding.
What do you feel makes you stand out from the rest?
The most common response from people to my work is how life- like it is, and I always get comments on how intense the eyes (in my works) seem. That’s the best compliment I could ask for. My greatest joy in my work is when I can stand back and sense the personality of my subjects coming out from the canvas. I think my skin tones look natural and I like to use expressive brush strokes and a strong sense of light for drama.
What have been your challenges if any?
I often run ahead of myself into the painting stage before I’ve had the subject drawn perfectly and end up spending more time correcting my work with my paintbrush. Then there’s a possibility of losing the fresh quality of the piece or the alla prima look and getting bogged down with corrections. My best work comes out of good planning. My challenges are to slow down and plan ahead.
What do you feel is your specialty?
Not too many artists that I know take on commission portrait work. It is challenging to capture a client’s child, for instance, and the pressure at times is high. I guess I always enjoy a challenge, and because I would rather paint people than anything else, I take this type of work on a regular basis. Although I do prefer to work on my own artistic pursuits, this income keeps me in supplies so I’m able to keep painting.
What’s new or cutting edge in your opinion?
There is so much information available at our fingertips today that is helpful to me as an artist. When I have a question about priming or a problem with varnishing, I go to my laptop and presto…I have more information than I could hope for and then I get back to my studio and paint. It’s great!
Anything else?
My studio is in my home just west of Stony Plain, Alberta. I am currently taking commission work for portraits. I like to come to the home of my clients first and decide where they would like the piece to hang. We take into consideration the size the canvas should be, and the colors in their home that I could incorporate to make the portrait not just a copy of a photo, but a beautiful piece of art work. I then take my own photos in order to capture a natural picture to paint from. In the end if I’ve done my job well, they will end up not only a painting of someone they love, but with a beautiful piece of art that fits their home.
Please check out my web site at www.4hisglorycreations.com