The Rose

The Rose

Artist:      Claude Chapdelaine
Title:        The Rose
Year:        1980
Medium:  Pencil
Size:         8"x11" white drawing paper
Price:        Not for sale

This rose was a high school art class assignment.  I was very pleased with the results.

The Musician and the Poet

La musicienne

Le poète

La musicianne and Le poète (The Musician and the Poet) are two ink drawings that I made simultaneously back in 1990.  The themes were inspired by my readings on Medieval and Renaissance periods.   I really liked the notion of gallantry, romanticism, poetry and the troubadours.  

Artist:     Claude Chapdelaine
Title:       La musicienne et Le poète
Year:       1990
Medium: Ink 

Size:       14x16 white drawing paper
Price:      Not for sale

Searching for The Tree of Life

Searching for The Tree of Life

Searching The Tree of Life

Artist:       Claude Chapdelaine

Title:        The Tree of Life

Year:        1984

Medium:  Latex markers 

Size:         8"x11" pink colouring paper

Price:       TBD

I was 22 at the time I did this auto portrait with small fine water based markers on pink coloured paper.  I was motivated to do this drawing a few days after I had heard a man's voice in one of my dreams instructing me that I needed to go and find my tree of life.  

As the central figure, I position my face looking towards the right - to face the future.  

In the middle of the ordinary landscape, I put in a leafless majestic tree that stands three times higher above the tree lines.  It looks symmetrical and a little bit like a creature ready to pounce towards the sun with its claws.  

  

Thirty years have gone by and I am still wondering if I found the right Tree.

Fragmented Self

The Fragmented Self

This drawing made of crayons represent how I sometimes felt.  My journey has been relatively a solitary one during my youth where I have often felt invisible and disconnected from the world around me.  The symbols abound with those of planets, roads, bridge, hearts, face, tears, tree of life, sun, blood, wounds,  tree of life, boulders and a sandy ground.

Artist:      Claude Chapdelaine
Title:        The Fragmented Self
Year:        1984
Medium:  Crayon
Size:         8"x11" white drawing paper
Price:       TBD

This drawing was done in 1984 (age 22).  I was in college and going through a rough time.  I was finishing my diploma in Special Education and was feeling the pangs of having to decide what to do with my life.  I also had to come to grips with the road I had travelled to get to the place I was destined to go, which meant that I had to find the courage to let go of the past and cross the bridge to god knows what was waiting on the other side.  Fragmented self symbolized having to accept change, to accept that my then beliefs and fears were no longer protectors but obstacles.  Inner tantrums were of abundance.  It would take me years to find all the pieces of the puzzle.

The Bird House

The Bird House

Artist:      Claude Chapdelaine

Title:        The Bird House

Year:        2014

Medium:  Acrylic

Size:        12"x12"x1" canvas with black lacquered wood frame

Price:       $150.00

The following series of photos contain the different steps I took to bring a drawing on a canvas and turn it into a bird's house attached to a tree.

The canvas is 10x10 inches.  Used a B pencil to outline the primary image I had in mind.

First colour was Burnt Sienna.

I added maple leafs falling from higher unseen branches 

and painted them Cadmium Red Deep hue.

I covered the background with a Light Blue Violet.  

I used Yellow Ochre and Burnt Umber to texturize the tree bark.

Once I finished the painting, I took a water based black marker to create and enhance the edges of the tree and the branches.

For the tree house, I used Yellow Oxide, Cadmium Orange Hue and some Raw Sienna.

Once the painting was dry, I applied one layer of Acrylic Gloss Medium to give it a little extra shine.

I framed it with Wallack's Float/Step black frame.

"Stop - Don't Come Closer!", unfinished

Stop - Don't Come Closer!

Artist:       Claude Chapdelaine

Title:         Stop - Don't Come Closer!

Year:         Ongoing

Medium:   Acrylic

Size:          30"x24" canvas

Price:        TBD

The unfinished acrylic painting below is 24x30  and currently titled "Stop - Don't Hurt Me!"  It is still in the works even after more than two years of being on my to do list of unfinished canvases.  

What's stopping me from moving forward in completing this piece - I'd have to say, I am afraid of the feelings that well up each time I move to add more colours and lines.  It's a painting that I have sat with many time contemplating on how best to convey the message I would like to impart that would best capture the spirit of this "character".  

These last few months, I have added background details and I hope to finish it by the year end of 2014.  Stay tuned!

Wind Blown Flowers and Stormy Skies

Wind Blown Flowers and Stormy Skies

Artist:       Claude Chapdelaine
Title:        Wind Blown Flowers and Stormy Skies
Year:        2014
Medium:  Acrylic
Size:         40"x36"canvas
Price:       TBD

I started this painting a little more than five years ago, a little bit at a time.   I had to put it aside a few times as I just couldn't seem to move forward.  I had put in a dark blue angry sky as the background and a sorry looking bunch of flowers at the bottom being walloped by heavy winds.  The motivation to finish it was lacking.

My motivation changed after having spent the last two weeks October 2013 in Paris France. I went there on my own with the objective of visiting as many museums and art galleries as possible (specially the Louvre, Quai D'Orsay and the Pompidou).  Once inside, I spent quite a bit of time looking closely at many of the fine works of art (paintings and sculptures) trying to see and understand the techniques the masters used to bring alive their works.  The two week experience gave me quite a confidence boost.

When I got back home, I worked of smaller paintings before I decided to tackle this unfinished piece again.  This time there were no inner battles of the mind or a conflicted muse.  The imagery that needed to be put to canvas came together quite naturally.  I loved the way I felt when I was painting the leaves of grass, or the colourful movement in the sky.  I felt I made a serious breakthrough in expressing my vision through art.   

Apples are Tumbling

Apples are Tumbling

Artist: Claude Chapdelaine

Title:  Apples are Tumbling

Year:  2013

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 12"x12x"x1" canvas with black lacquered wood frame

Price:  TBD

This 10x10 acrylic painting that was done in December 2013.  

Moka - The Family Pet

Mika - The Family Pet

Artist:       Claude Chapdelaine

Title:         Moka - The Family Pet

Year:         2007

Medium:  Acrylic

Size:         24"x30" canvas

Moka (shih tzu) is the family pet of my brother Leo and his with France.  This painting currently hangs over the mantle of their fireplace.  Everyone who have seen the painting attest that I did a very good job of capturing Moka's spirit.  Moka's favourite toy is a red ball which is included in the painting.

Finding the Inner Artist

Finding the Inner Artist

I grew up in a small town named Longlac (now part of Greenstone) in Northern Ontario.  There wasn't much to do to keep occupied so apart from running through the forest, I drew quite a bit in order to past the time.  I grew up around trees, forests, rivers and lakes. These elements have been quite present in the majority of my work as an artist.

I was in Grade 1 when I did this watercolour painting of a sad looking tree that is losing its leaves and a person standing by with no hands.  Up to this day, I have been quite unsuccessful in drawing or painting hands.

  

The following four oil paintings were done when I was 13 years old.  I was taking a summer painting class at the local Public school.  I was the only teen in the class with the least experience.  It was a great experience being part of a group of people who shared the same interest.  Although they weren't very good paintings, my parents had kept them.  Now that I am in my 50's, I look at them and see the progress I have made over the last few decades.

The following newspaper drawings were done as part of my high school art assignments.  Our arts teacher's name was Mr. Arts and everyone wanted to be in his classes because he was so good at motivating students to be the best they could be.  I loved all his classes.

Female Portraits & Study Sketches

Female Portraits and Studies

Title:  The Grey Haired Woman

Year: 2007

Medium: Acrylic

Size: 14"x18" canvas with black lacquered wood frame

Price: $150.00

Title:  A Girl With Character

Year:  2007

Medium:  Acrylic

Size: 14"x18" canvas with black lacquered wood frame

Price:  $150.00

Title:  A Muslim Girl dressed in Red

Year:  2008

Medium:  Acrylic

Size: 14"x18" canvas with black lacquered wood frame 

Price:  $125.00

The following four drawings represent the inner muse or goddesses who stir up memories, who nurtures learning and to be creative.

Title:  Goddess of the Universe
Year:
Medium:  Coloured Crayons
Size:
Price:

Title:  Goddess of KnowledgeYear:
Medium:  Coloured Crayons
Size:
Price:

Title:  Goddess of the Underworld
Year:
Medium:  Coloured Crayons
Size:
Price:

Title:  Goddess of CreativityYear:
Medium:  Coloured Crayons
Size:
Price:

The following pencil drawings are portrait studies and exercises.

My Art Studio

 My Art Studio

I like my studio set up as it allows me to be surrounded by my tools for easy reach.  I have enough light and storage space to put things away if need be.