Espoir / Hope Painting

Lynda Gagnon completed a Fine Arts program and studied graphic design in British Columbia, Canada. She also studied in multimedia technology, English literature and translation at McGill University. Lynda lives in Montreal and held positions as a a web project manager and designer. Lynda led children's art workshops for the Faculté Saint-Jean in Edmonton, Alberta. Her paintings are part of private collections in Canada (Quebec, Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick), the United States (New York, Ohio, Tennessee, California, Mississippi, Arizona, Massachusetts, Oklahoma) and Europe (France, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Germany). My art tells the stories of people; theirs, yours and mine. It evokes the idea that we are molded in part by time and our life experiences in a complex, at times chaotic and shifting world in which, moment to moment, life is in a constant state of change. My goal is to illuminate the ebb and flow of life through my art and to encourage viewers to construct their own narratives and interpretations. In the words of the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, "No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man." My artistic process begins with observing the world around me and gathering inspiration, which I may draw from my own photos or imagination, or a combination of both. Next, I consider the story I want to convey, along with the intended mood and emotions. I conceptualize my paintings through sketching out ideas, visualizing composition and color schemes, and occasionally using digital mockups to preview the final result. To establish the mood and tone, I create an underpainting and use a monochromatic or limited color palette to establish the basic colors. I prefer working with acrylic paint for its vibrant colors and opaque finish, which contribute to a modern and contemporary look in my paintings. As I apply paint in flat layers, I periodically step back to assess the overall effect and make small adjustments as needed. Finally, I refine certain areas and add finishing touches to complete the painting.