Have you ever felt the exhilarating essence of the lightness of being?
In these moments, all the scraps and things of this world fall away from you and no longer exist. It is as if, for a moment, you exist here, there and everywhere all at once. As if you are connected to something bigger than you, this world, this universe. Things become crystal clear to you in a nanosecond and you are enlightened to a sense of self, beyond your life and the world you exist in. As if momentarily, only you have been given this precious gift. As if the veil is lifted, only briefly, and you are given a glimpse of the fact that the world you live in is a mirage, a matrix and there is a knowing within you of a greater self and essence that exists beyond this world. Like another dimension of existence. And that this existence is good. You realize that you exist beyond this small world and that the smallness of your life on earth has been in you.
For me, these moments come from the simplest of things; the whisper of tree leaves rustling in the wind, the dapple of sun rays on the grass, the shape of a cloud, a song, a scent, a touch, the smile of a loved one.
This is hope. This is joy. This is peace. This is the soul.
I was born in 1961 in Ottawa, Ontario and currently reside in the township of Whitchurch-Stouffville, just outside of Toronto, Ontario. From a very young age I have been creating art with great passion. I received my formal art training in high school followed by two years in Fine Arts/Visual Arts at York University in Toronto, Ontario. Following my second year, I changed degrees and subsequently went on to a long and successful career as a Stockbroker and Financial Planner, spanning 36 years in the wealth management industry. During this period, I continued to produce art in my off time. Now happily retired, I am returning my focus back to my true passion (other than my wife and daughter of course) of creating art.
My primary medium is painting, using both oils and acrylics. All of my paintings are hand-painted and done alla prima, applying real physical paint to the canvas. I do not digitally enhance any photos of my paintings. All photos of my paintings are of the pure, raw original painting. I do not use digital art enhancement software, AI or computerized mixed-media in any of my own paintings.
I consider my style to be mainly in the tonalist, minimalist and impressionist styles, favouring a loose-brush technique, purposely not getting too detailed, thereby allowing the viewer to engage in the painting with their own imagination and perceptions. My goal in each painting is not to paint a photographic, realistic image, but rather to create mystery and to capture the overall mood or emotion of the scene through light, tone and colour, in the hopes of creating an emotional response from the viewer. I am not necessarily interested in painting pretty scenes, but rather capturing the atmosphere or the etherealness of the scene, so that my painting may stir the viewer deeply and perhaps momentarily transport them to an unseen realm of consciousness or emotion.
My artistic influences from the past are; the Romanticists (J.M.W Turner, John Constable), the French Impressionists (Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro), the Tonalist movement (George Inness, J.A.M. Whistler) and the Group Of Seven (A.Y. Jackson, Tom Thomson) from whom I gain great inspiration and greatly admire. I am also drawn to and influenced by a number of current artists, namely; Maurice Sapiro, Adriano Farinella, Harry Brioche, Kerr Ashmore, Stuart Davies and Christopher Volpe.
My main subject focus is in cloudscapes and landscapes. I am drawn especially to the sky and it's drama in the overall scene and the effect that light plays throughout. I am inspired by all aspects of nature and the emotions it brings out of me. Most of my paintings are created purely from imagination and rarely from a photograph. I tend to paint from my emotions, feelings and intuitions and allow that to flow through the work as I create it. I also enjoy conveying mood and atmosphere through the use of a more toned-down (tonal) colour palette.
My goal and hope for the viewer of my work, is to create a sense in them of peace, joy or even a pleasant feeling of nostalgic familiarity to the scene, that speaks to their heart and soul and leaves them in a happy state of mind.
Art Gallery Representation:
Biggs Art Gallery
Aurora, Ontario Canada
Awards and Features Through Fine Art America (FAA):
- 1,761 Paintings chosen as Special Features by FAA Art Curators.
- 21 FAA Artist Of Distinction Awards.
- 2 FAA Curators Pick Awards.
- 2 FAA Artist Of The Month Awards.
- 1 FAA Artist Of The Week Award.
- 2nd Place Award Winner, FAA Mystery Group Best Of 2023 Juried Contest, for Celestine Light.
Featured artwork in December 22, 2022 issue of Inside Art Newsletter - Streamline Publishing.
Works Owned In Private Collections Throughout Canada:
- Toronto, Ontario
- Ottawa, Ontario
- Markham, Ontario
- Vaughan, Ontario
- Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ontario
- Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
Please visit my YouTube channel for painting demos:
https://youtube.com/@RogerQuesnel-turner1
Or just google Roger Quesnel YouTube, to find my YouTube Channel
Roger Quesnel joined Pixels.com Licensing on July 3rd, 2022.
