Marie-Ève Lachance
My work is about joy and spontaneity, inspired by the memories and emotions of childhood. Painting allows me to recapture the sense of delight and fun in the events, games and places of my past. It's an intuitive expression of these intense childhood feelings through dynamic form and rich colour.
When I paint, I let the memories enfold me as I transpose the feelings they evoke onto canvas. I want to take the viewer on a journey into a world where reality and imagination merge, to reawaken their sense of wonder and experience the pure, unfettered joy of childhood-a shelter from the concerns of adult life.
After envisioning the theme and structure of my subject, I start by placing broad colour blocks with a loaded brush and that let the paint drip and run free, imperfectly. As I add layers of paint, I give way to the emotion and inspiration jostling in my mind, always aware of the balance of substance, colour and form. Instinctively, I alternate adding paint and scratching away layers to reveal the colours beneath, creating depth and texture. Finally, I add graphic details reminiscent of children's drawings that are particularly evocative of the vivid emotions and joyfulness that
characterize my art. Happiness, reassurance and love are always at the very centre of my work.
"My art is the part of me that never grew up."
