Congratulations to Francois Chartier for earning his place as a Winner in the Boynes Monthly Art Award [August Edition]!

Who are you?

My name is Francois Chartier, I am a self-taught artist from Montreal, Quebec, Canada. In 2000, after 30 years of evolving in the advertising world as an art director and illustrator, I felt the need to pursue in greater depth my own artistic journey through painting. This year I will be celebrating my 70th anniversary, as well as 20 year as a painter. As an artist, I wish to share my art as much as possible. I deeply think that artwork should inspire! Hoping that viewers find as much pleasure in discovering my work as I had in creating it! I love to create joyful, colorful and luminous atmospheres in my paintings and I hope that they will remain, long after I am gone, source of inspiration and wonder.

What inspired you to utilize painting as a medium?

My first encounter with Hyperrealism was in New York in the mid 70s. One morning coming back from a disco night, very early in the morning ,walking on Prince Street I saw a painting of a gumball machine in a window. That painting was the biggest painting I had ever seen. I stopped and looked at it for quite a long time and I remember saying to myself : someday I'm going to do something like that. I fund out years later the painting was by Charles Bell and the window in which it was installed, was the Louis K Meisel  gallery. This great souvenir is very clear in my mind. At that time I was just starting working in advertising and I had very little knowledge of the art world. And luckily for me here I am today doing exactly what I was dreaming of…

How would you describe your ARTwork?

Hyperrealism has always been of tremendous interest to me, it was natural that this was the direction my art should take. Although my paintings are realistic my goal is to create, through the layering of mediums and the play of the brush, the illusion of depth and sense of presence beyond what is found in photographs.

Hyperrealism is tailored made for me as it requires hours of work and undertaking which I see as a quest, almost an obsession, requiring constant focus and control. As it takes me months to complete a painting I can’t allow my moods, good or bad to afect the way I work, and this become a Zen challenge in itself for me. At the end when a painting is finished I experience both disbelief at what I have done and great pride in my work. This feeling is the fuel necessary to start begin again on a new piece…again and again.

Can you discuss the inspiration and thought process behind your winning work?

Inspiration is very tricky, sometimes it is everywhere around you and sometimes nowhere to be seen... Chuck Close used to say,  « Inspiration is for beginners, the rest of us work ». Every time I see something of interest I make a small sketch or take note in my inspiration book . Once a year late spring early summer, when flowers are glorious I take my book of inspiration and take a whole month to photograph all the ideas that I noted true the year. Through the thousands of pictures I will take, 5 or 6 images will be consider. 3 or 4 will make it as paintings.

I have my subject for a complete year.

Hyperrealism is very organized and planed, rather than intuitive. I spend a lot of time preparing my subject and taking the photos. An image will be considered for a painting only if it has the WOW factor… Since I like the impact of large paintings and that they allow me to paint my subject bigger then life, it is important that I am in perfect synch with my image, before I start spending the few month it will take to realize the painting.

Can you walk us through the technical steps of creating your winning work?

After I decide what photograph will be my guide I prepare my canvas with a few colt of gesso that I sand for a smooth surface. I will put a medium grey all over the prepare canvas, print the subject to size, and trace it with graphite carbon. Some time I will use grisaille, and other time I will go with the real color right away. It is usually the subject that dictates it for me. When the canvas is entirely cover I will go back over everything with a second coat of more or less transparent paint(glazing). I stop concentrating on small area and look at the entire image, intensifying light, color, shadow, going beyond the photograph.

I will let the painting rest for a while and then varnish it.

What do you hope to communicate to an audience with your work?

My choice of painting subject is usually dictated by the rhythm, shape, color, light and shadow I obtain by staging objects, flowers or people together. The themes of many of my paintings explore the relationship of light with reflective and transparent surfaces, as they echo my journey to understand these qualities and convey my sense of wonder and intrigue over them. I aim to tell a story that expresses my unique vision, to create an image that first moves me and hopefully moves the viewer.

Can you talk about your biggest learning experience during the process of creating your work?

From my experience as a commercial artist, I already knew how to take and use photograph as a reference. I took some course to learn the basics of oil painting and from there it’s a succession of trial and error . I never stop learning, and I still do today. Depending on the subject there’s always different ways to get what you’re looking for so the more you work the more you learn. If Im not sure enough I will do test on a separate piece of canvas untill I understand .

Glazing, is a technique that made a big difference, making it easier to balance an get richer color or intensify contrast at the end of a painting…

Can you discuss your biggest success since starting your artistic journey?

I guess it’s not so much the biggest success you get, but all those little success that come one after the other and motivate you to go on. The first time you exhibit in a gallery ,the first painting you sell, the first awards you get in a competition ,the first solo show you have, the first time you exhibit in a museum, the first interview in a magazine. These are all thing that are the result of hard work and are good motivation to go on working harder.

In my case being selected to work with PlusOne Gallery in London U.K. and being part of Museum exhibit In South Korea, Barcelona and Brazil is something Im proud of.

Can you share with us the best piece of advice you you wish you had known at the start of your career?

Make sure you pick the right gallery to work with. Use the social media. Believe in yourself, listen to what people have to say about your work but keep in mind you are in charge. Never take a quick decision take the time to think it over but react quickly.The painting you do is your product they will represent you, so make sure that they are perfect.

What projects are you working on currently? Can you discuss them?

I am preparing a solo exhibit for the end of 2024 early 2025.

What is your dream project or piece you hope to accomplish?

I would love to spend a full year on one painting, a very large painting… Will see after the solo show is over…

As a winner, do you have any advice for artists who want to submit to awards, competitions, residencies, etc.?

Make sure you select the right competition, always look which artists are part of it. If the competition is of quality and if you see yourself as part of it, go for it. It is probably the best way to get your work being seen. Make sure you present only your best work.

Lastly, I like to ask everyone what advice they would give to their fellow artists, what is your advice?

Believe in yourself. It’s better to do things then to think about it and never do them. If you do something wrong, learn from it. Have fun and enjoy.

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