In the latest of “our getting to know you” series we have caught up with the artist Veronique Robidoux.
Veronique was born in the suburbs, on the south shore of Montreal, Canada. Drawing and colouring have always been part of her life. Her mother always said she was born with a pencil in her hand. Veronique studied art history at school but she opted for training in interior design where she decided it would be easier to earn a living. She worked 18 years in this field but has never been as passionate about it as she is about artwork.
Her partner has always supported and encouraged her drawing and painting talents and encouraged her to take a painting course at the Montreal art school ARTUS. This training allowed her to develop her unique technique and style.
Following this, her maternity leave allowed her to enrich herself further with a program in commercial illustration, after which she concentrated on refining her female characters with large eyes which you can see in this beautiful piece called ‘Royale’.
Veronique spends much of her free time with friends and family. She devotes the rest of her time to art. She works with several mediums including sewing, ceramics, sculpture and, naturally, painting and drawing – where she uses pencils, watercolour and acrylic on canvas which is her favourite medium.
Inspired by Troy Brooks, Greg ”Craola” Simkins, Jana Birke, Jasmine Beckett, Olga Esther, Katie Olivas and Salvador Dali much of her artwork is lowbrow pop surrealism. Fairy tales and their symbolism influenced her early work. Veronique’s art explores feminism and she has instinctively developed her own female archetypes, enhanced by her allegories. She also likes to refer to certain artistic movements of previous centuries, to make analogies.
Creation for Veronique is visceral and she fuels her creativity with all the beauty that nature has to offer. She finds inspiration from integrating realistic elements and characters into an “impossible universe”. She particularly enjoys placing realistic subjects in surreal settings and compositions. Sometimes she mixes her big-eyed characters with animals to emphasize the surreal.
Her images come to life from detailed sketches and their compositions are both zany and meaningful. The richness and harmony of the colours and the dynamism of the forms support her art. Femininity in all its sensuality and fragility reflects her hypersensitivity and supports her imagination.
This is clearly demonstrated in one of Veronique’s favourite pieces of work – a recent canvas which she has named “l’eau la vie” (water life). Veronique says, “Technology frightens me, the fact that everything is computerised and robotised, leaves less room for human interaction and emotions. Technology can replace everything in the human world except one thing; water.” This canvas takes us back to the basics elements of nature with a naked character adorned with flowers and jewels holding the symbol of water in her hands.
Whatever subject she explores Veronique aims to transport us into a colourful world. A place that helps us forget our grey world where horror, crime, injustice and oppression appear to rule.
We absolutely love Veronique’s artwork and if you would like to see more please follow her here.
