MONTRÉAL'S ICONIC STRUCTURES AS WORKS OF ART

BY NATHALIE SAVARIA, JOURNALIST

As soon as you walk in the door, you are dazzled by the light coming from the big windows of her studiogallery located on the Lachine Canal in a building that in years past was a Simmons Mattress factory.

A large-format piece in the room immediately catches the eye. It presents a breathtaking view of downtown Montréal. In a multitude of strokes and details and with a very personal touch, Stéphanie Goulet gives new life to buildings of brick, steel and mortar, turning them into veritable characters that trace the architectural and historic evolution of the city.

Four years ago, this professional with a flourishing career made the courageous decision to devote herself full-time to her art. The call of the brush, the appeal of creating exciting visual works, was too strong to resist!

THE ARTIST'S PATH

Stéphanie was interested in art as a child, and began painting at age 12 after meeting the wildlife painter Régis Vézina.

When it came time to decide on a career she abandoned the idea of opening her own art school, as she felt she was too young and unprepared. She studied graphic and multimedia arts at the University of Québec in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, and went on to complete a Master's in graphic arts in Toulouse, France.

"I made graphic design my profession. For about 15 years, I worked for companies in the fashion and cosmetics industry designing packaging, advertising and also clothing."

She put her career first, setting aside her artistic pursuits. But the more time passed, the more urgent the need to create, its presence a constant percolating desire. "I spent a few years establishing myself as a graphic artist. I knew what I wanted to do but didn't know how to go about it. Like a lot of artists, I think it's knowing what I'm going to paint, how I'm going to paint it, and then how I'm going to make it unique, special."

Stéphanie Goulet had also worked for engineering and industrial design firms, and is a skilled master of the computer-aided design program AutoCAD, technical skills that distinguish her from most artists. Her work also included travelling to other cities in Canada and the U.S., which she found inspiring.

A Eureka Moment

The penny finally dropped during the dismantling of the Champlain Bridge and the construction of its replacement, along with an upgrade of the Turcot Interchange. "I was stuck in traffic every day, gazing at the machinery, the cranes, the concrete and all that. I found it quite beautiful."

She began taking photos and became a big fan of the new Samuel de Champlain Bridge. The emotion came from the vertigo she felt when looking at that steel giant up close. While she found the sensation of dizziness frightening, "at the same time that emotional response was magnificent. I realized that I felt the same thing when walking the streets, gazing up at skyscrapers [...]".

A Distinctive Signature

Everything fell into place in less than a year, and Stéphanie Goulet officially established herself as a painter in 2018.

She had found her subject matter and in the process, her artistic signature. The bridges, buildings and iconic sights of Montréal, such as the Farine Five Roses sign and the cross on Mount Royal, are at the heart of her work and are her source of inspiration.

To convey and accentuate the feeling of vertigo she experienced, she gives an angular effect to all her works, with the buildings always leaning in a certain direction.

In Search Of Light

The artist works in her studio every day, creating her paintings from photos she has taken while walking the streets of the city at various times of the day. "If I want to portray Mary Queen of the World Cathedral from a particular angle, I go there and wait for the right sun, the right light, the right sky."

Calm and silence reign in her paintings, which are devoid of cars or passersby. "I want the buildings to speak."

A visit to her website shows that she has combed the city from top to bottom, painting the Jacques Cartier Bridge, the former Molson Brewery, the blue parasols on Clock Tower Beach, the grain elevator Silo 5, the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, the Ritz-Carlton Hotel, the renowned Orange Julep drive-in restaurant and other distinctive sites.

THE ART OF SELF-PROMOTION

To promote her work the Montréal artist relies on her marketing skills and uses social media to present the day-to-day evolution of a painting, from the initial sketch to the finished work.

On her favourite showcase LinkedIn for example, she has more than 16.000 contacts! It's where she recruits the majority of her clients such as the real estate development firms Broccolini, the Mach Group and Montoni Group, and the property management firm the Petra Group. "98 or 99% of my clients are building owners or people who are involved in or working on buildings […] In general, my paintings are destined for the lobby, conference rooms or corporate offices. That's really my target market."

She receives her clients in her studio, as she rarely exhibits her work in art galleries. "I wanted to create a meeting place where we can discuss paintings in progress and future projects."

An Evolving Body Of Work

As with any artist, the creative work is always an evolving process. The former wildlife illustrator has even resurfaced in a recent work. It features a flight of Canada geese in the early morning, with the city centre in the background.

She is thinking of exploring other cities she finds inspiring, such as Toronto and Québec City. Montréal, however, will always remain her favourite. "I put it in the same category as New York, It has a unique multicultural flavour and cityscapes where you find the old alongside the new. Mix that together and it's beautiful."

For more details about Stéphanie Goulet and her work, visit: Stéphanie Goulet | Artiste peintre (gouletart.com)