NICOLE ST-PIERRE AND HER LIFE'S PASSION

by Marissa de Consiglieri de Chackal

 

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Nicole St-Pierre was born in Montreal in 1953. A self-taught artist, she has been painting for more than a quarter century. St-Pierre has a long list of Canadian exhibitions to her credit and has exhibited in Sarasota, Florida and Arizona (Tempe, 1997) where she was commissioned to paint two frescoes. She is presently exhibiting in Montreal, Quebec City, North Hatley, Quebec, Canada and permanently at the Artana Gallery in Brookline and Framingham, Massachusetts, USA

Painting is the most beautiful of all arts. In it, all sensations are condensed; contemplating it, everyone can create a story at the will of his imagination and – with single glance – have his soul invaded by the most profound recollections; no effort of memory. . . (Paul Gauguin, Notes Synthetics, c.1889)

 

Nicole St-Pierre’s also describes painting as "the most beautiful art" and her life’s passion. A shy person, she resolves her inner turmoil through her art!

Cherry Flower, acrylic on canvas, 10 x 8 inches, 2003.

St-Pierre’s work conveys strong emotion which the viewer can interpret "at the will of his or her own imagination." An expressionist, she intentionally distorts form, colour and space in order to render an emotional interpretation of the world around her: the neighbourhood, neighbours and everyday life objects. Tilted planes, objects and human figures, askew proportions, stunning colour and a bold spontaneous handling of paint characterize her compositions.

Nude with Apricots, acrylic on canvas, 60 x 20 inches, 2003.

Nicole St-Pierre’s palette is composed of primary and secondary colours; frequently, the artist juxtaposes complementary colours broken by thick, powerful and dark, almost black, lines and uses white drapery to accentuate contrasts and balance the composition. With her vibrant palette, St-Pierre captures the pleasures of life in all their variety: sensuous female nudes inviting a caress, circus entertainers making the pleasure of spectators, musicians playing a favourite piece or singing an opera, lively piano bar scenes, appetizing still lives and delightful floral arrangements which make us dream of their exotic fragrance.

Flowers and Doves, acrylic and mix media on canvas, 20 x60 inches, 2003.

 

Saxo Beat, acrylic on canvas, 40 x 30 inches, January 2004.

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I spoke recently with the Heather Roy, owner and Director of Artana Gallery, and asked her:

MCC: What attracted you to Nicole’s art in 2001?

HEATHER ROY: St-Pierre's bold colorful palette paired with her unmistakable, well-developed, ‘signature jaunty style’ is what caught my attention and still holds it!

MCC: Why do you think she is so successful in New England?

HEATHER ROY: Our following is conservative when it comes to collecting art. There is a higher demand for figurative art than there is for non-figurative art. While Nicole's subjects are definitely recognizable, they are highly stylized and ‘lively’. It is primarily this attribute that sets her work apart from the norms of representational work. Generally speaking, significantly colorful art was unpopular 6 years ago when the US economy was strong and the world enjoyed relative peace. Today, expressions of color are quickly gaining in popularity provided it is accompanied by good composition and surface application. Bold, vibrant colors have an amazing way of lifting people’s spirits. In addition, there is a comeback in using a generous amount of color in home décor, and Nicole’s work fits the bill in both counts. I credit Nicole for captivating a regional market that otherwise shies away from the strong use of color we see celebrated in Latin American or African art. While Nicole employs a powerful palette of red, green, yellow and blue, applied with an evident brushwork, she creates a comforting harmony by painting subjects New Englanders are especially fond of -- such as floral arrangements, table tops, animals and the human figure. The suggested European undercurrent also settles well with our following. In short, the emotional content of her work which conveys such a positive out look on life combined with an extraordinary artistic quality creates paintings people can not live without! There have been many ‘love at first sight’ experiences at the gallery.

MCC: Tell me a little bit about the upcoming exhibition of May 21.

HEATHER ROY: Nicole St-Pierre has worked diligently in creating 35 new works for the exhibition entitled The Pleasure of Life which will open with a reception on May 21st (6-8 pm) at our Brookline location. Artana warmly welcomes back her presence on opening night and her visit to Massachusetts. The Québec Delegation is kindly co-sponsoring the reception and will offer Canadian delicacies as a welcoming gesture. The French Library members have also shown great interest in the event and plan to join us for the evening. I know that multi-time collectors and local appreciators of Nicole’s paintings are truly looking forward to meeting her in person as well. Moreover, St-Pierre's show will be on exhibit during a popular city wide art event called Brookline Artists Open Studios (BAOS). On June 5th & 6th Brookline artists open their doors for the weekend and make themselves available in order to enjoy direct contact with the public. Artana, along with other art venues, such as the Brookline Community Center for the Arts, is a major sponsor of the BAOS. We are excited to present Nicole’s show to the thousands of visitors who anxiously await the annual BAOS weekend.

Nicole St-Pierre’s The Pleasure’s of Life will run through June 26th.

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It is very gratifying to learn that this Québécois artist is enjoying great success in the United States where she is exclusively represented in New England by Artana Gallery in its two locations in Brookline and Framingham, Massachusetts. In late 2001, the afore mentioned gallery selected Nicole St-Pierre as one of three artists for its Special Canadian Exhibition held in January, 2002. Following the unexpectedly warm reception of her work, the gallery decided to continue exhibiting her painting, and is organizing a solo exhibition (May, 2004) of her most recent pieces. There the artist will share, once more, her life’s passion with the American public.

The Bohemian, acrylic on canvas, 30 x 30 inches

N.B.: Artana Gallery (1378 Beacon Street - Suite B, Brookline, MA, US) will present a solo exhibition of Nicole St-Pierre’s recent works beginning May 21, 2004. The Bohemian will be part of the upcoming exhibition.To obtain more information about the event, please visit www.artanagallery.com. The exhibition will be available on Artana’s Web site from May 8th, 2004.