Alex Garant

PORTRAIT PAINTER, QUEBEC CITY, CANADA

How do you feel working towards a formal education has benefitted you and in what ways do you feel it also was less necessary?

I personally loved art school. I completed a 3 years degree in Visual Arts ( Arts Plastiques) in Quebec City Canada, almost 18 years ago. To me, it was very beneficial when it comes to experimenting with mediums and learn basic techniques. Exploring oils, acrylics, #D sculpting, architecture and computer graphic gave me an opportunity to start defining myself. I also strongly believe in critique sessions when you learn to talk about art but also learn to open your mind to commentary about your own work.

I do not think anything was “less necessary”, but I think some people about the wrong expectations when it comes to any type of art education, it should be about exploration and experience, I feel like some people believe they will find their voice immediately, when the actual process takes multiple additional years to refine.

How do you feel your surroundings in the Eastern parts of Canada have inspired or affected the work that you create?

I am originally from Quebec City, but I move to Toronto almost 14 years ago. I truly appreciate the buzziness of the city. So many opportunities to explore and connect with the world from here.

What is it about the human figure that you are particularly drawn to paint?

Because I was classically trained, portraiture was always such a part of my journey. The challenge of creating a style based on a more traditional subject with a modern twist was very attractive. How to reinvent the analogue portrait and bring it to this era mostly dominated by digital influences is a journey I truly embrace.

Is there a specific theme that you like to incorporate with your paintings?

I like my composition to be fairly stiff and I also have the tendency to keep very bare backgrounds. To me, it is all about creating that connection between the viewer and the character. Attempting to establish eye contact, attempting to solve the image.

In addition, what feeling are you hoping to pull out of people who take a look at the imagery that you create?

My work is a representation of duality, the fight between one’s outer self and inner self. The person you might be when sitting in silence at home versus the person you are projecting in public. Who is the true self, the hidden one or the projected one. By creating a visual vibration, I am hoping to create a literal quest for an answer, as well as a storytelling element with the painted character.

What does your routine look like when you first set yourself up on a project?

Wake up, snack, gym, breakfast, emails, art for 6-10 hours, food, rest, sleep, repeat.

Do you draw everything out within your canvas, or do you put it together digitally before printing it to life by hand?

I do a traditional sketch and then use a projector to “transfer” onto to canvas, I duplicate the image this way and once my rough sketch is done, I then start painting alla prima or wet-on-wet.

What birthed the replication of eyes and other facial features?

In the beginning, years ago, it was more of a technical challenge, I was doing a lot of traditional portraits but still playing with mirroring images, and duplicating elements, eventually overlapping 2 similar sketches. It was years of experimenting and research that lead me to settle on this imagery.

How long have you been using oils for?

I took my first oil painting class in a local community cbeter when i was 7 years old.

What are some key tools and colours that you find yourself using before any others?

For oils, I use Gamblin oils and Gamvar for varnishing. I use very affordable brushes from Royal and langnickel...

Tell us a bit about your development with your colour pallet. In the past, I have seen your very lucid and vibrant coloursmute down into a relatively more neutral colour pallet. When do you find yourself changing this up a bit? How do you feel it changes the mood of your images?

Yes, I go through different phases with colours, because my style is focused on the subject of my imagery, it leaves me a lot of freedom to experiment with colours. Last year all my work was very light and was featuring a lot of pastel colours. This year I am using a lot more darker colours for skin tones and clothing elements.

What has been or was one of the most difficult things for you to learn or integrate into your work and /or work flow?

When I first transition from the corporate work to full-time artist, it was a challenge to find my routine, now that it has been a little while, I learned to do a lot of lists to keep myself on track with deadlines and projects.

Where do you hope to see your other work in the future? What is a prominent artistic goal for you?

I really just hope to continue building my legacy as a Canadian artist and maybe one day have a feature in a great Canadian museum.