IN THE STUDIO WITH ALAIN PICARD

From the Heart

Wed, 8 Sep 2010 16:51:03 -0400

The October issue of Pastel Journal features the work of four artists creating “Portraits From the Heart”, as the article is aptly titled. I’m honored to have my Rwandan portraits sit beside some of today’s finest portrait and figural pastelists. And I’m truly stunned by the generosity of the editor to share so much of the story that motivated the series of Rwandan paintings that I call “Reflections of Hope”. No More Tears is the most recent installment in this series.

The young girl in this painting was living with her mother and grandmother when I met them. Her grandmother is one of the many women who was systematically victimized during the genocide by known AIDS carriers, a strategy of war that caused the virus to spread dramatically among women in Rwanda as a result. I created this portrait to plead the case for all children around the world. Love, safety and provision. These are gifts that all children deserve, regardless of where they live- be it Rwanda, Haiti, New Orleans or your own hometown.

CHILDLIKE PLAY

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:38:02 -0400

My son Lucas is three years old. He’s a moving target to say the least, overflowing with boundless energy and life. Lucas has that rare ability to fully engage in each moment, and bring the full spectrum of human emotion to each discovery he makes. Here we find him wielding a big paintbrush and the finest watercolors with absolutely no reservation (or even clothes for that matter).

Lucas is teaching me what it looks like to live and create without the binding restraints of fear and performance, just pure delight in the process.

I’m reminded of a passage in the Scriptures from the gospel of Matthew where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

Thanks for teaching your dad what childlike play really looks like, Lucas. You’ve opened a doorway for me to experience that same wonder once again in my own art and life.

You’re the greatest!

My Dad

Tue, 6 Oct 2009 23:34:33 -0400

I painted a portrait of my dad this year for the very first time. It was father’s day, and I thought it would be a great way to celebrate the occasion together. We had a fantastic time in the studio sharing conversation and art. My dad has always been a tremendous supporter of my decision to be an artist, am I’m very grateful for his encouragement. The portrait was his Father’s Day gift. I really like the way it came out, it feels just like dad’s looking back at me.

Thanks for a giving me a wonderful life, dad, you’re the greatest!

Best Portfolio Award

Tue, 23 Jun 2009 10:21:58 -0400

I had the incredible honor of winning the Best Portfolio Award at this year’s Art of the Portrait Conference in Washington D.C. Well over six hundred portrait artists came together to share ideas, learn from the best in the industry, and compete for top awards. Here’s a picture of the cover, and a spread from the inside as well. It’s amazing to consider that today’s technology allows me as an artist to produce beautifully bound books on demand for the display of my paintings.

Thinking of Evelyn

Wed, 20 May 2009 09:57:53 -0400

In 2005 I traveled to Rwanda with World Relief, a christian relief and development organization empowering the local Church to serve the most vulnerable around the globe. This trip captured my heart, and catalyzed a series of paintings depicting the beauty of the Rwandan people amidst the brokenness caused by the horrific genocide of 1994. Since then I have been supporting World Relief in their life-changing work with the people of Rwanda. This painting of a beautiful Rwandan girl named Evelyn is the most recent in my collection. I offer you the opportunity to take part in this restorative work through the purchase of my original painting, entitled “Captivating”. Please contact me for purchase inquiries.

I will contribute 40% of the proceeds from the sale of this painting to World Relief to support their child development program in Rwanda.

Click here to view the entire collection of Rwanda paintings on my website.
Click here to learn more about the work of World Relief in Rwanda

University Demonstration

Sun, 17 May 2009 23:22:58 -0400

I recently painted this pastel portrait of a writing major named Sam at Western Ct State University in Danbury CT. This was a demonstration done over two hours during a wonderful event held at the university, called Reasons for Hope. The event celebrated the arts along with the theme of social justice as genuine expressions of christian faith. I was honored to be a part of it, and to share my passion for art as well as my devotion to Christ.

I absolutely love painting these short portrait studies, as they are fresh and vibrant expressions of a moment shared between the artist and the sitter. You can see Sam’s sharp wit and confidence coming through in the portrait. What a joy this was to create!

Click here to view the painting process.

PORTRAIT OF SAM
Pastel on Canson
24 x 18”

Show opens at Meridian Galleries

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 14:37:41 -0400

Meridian Galleries is open for the season with a new group exhibition, FLAURA, FAUNA, AND FOG.

The Self-Portrait Experiment

Tue, 7 Apr 2009 08:35:14 -0400

Recently, I was gearing up for a portrait workshop and didn’t have time to book a model in the studio. So I tapped in to a centuries-long tradition and used myself as the model. Uninterested in the outcome of this painting, my goal was simply to practice and give my artistic muscles a good workout in preparation for the workshop demonstration ahead of me. I quickly chose this odd-shaped horizontal surface because it was left over from the previous week’s plein air outing. Then I stood in front of the mirror, lit my face from the side, and dove in headlong developing the facial features that stared back at me. It was in this state of complete abandon to the process that something exciting and truthful emerged.

I think sometimes we just try too hard, grasping for new ideas and innovative concepts to motivate our work when the really ingenious creations await us in that unself-conscious state of creative play. This painting serves as a reminder to me that I’ve got to shut down my intellect and let it rip every once in a while. The most amazing surprises are unlocked from within when we allow the creative process take control. I believe in these playful moments our most truthful work will emerge, and the unique artistic voice residing in each of us can be unleashed. Give it a try!

Portrait of a Young Artist

Wed, 25 Mar 2009 11:15:12 -0400

A friend of mine came over the studio last Friday to sit for a portrait study. Hannah is a first year art major at the local university. She’s just embarked on the lifelong adventure of becoming an artist. We had a great time over the three hours that she sat for me, and this pastel study is the result.

While we chatted and worked, the subject of dreaming arose. Hannah’s setting sail right at the beginning of a dream; one that takes great courage and fortitude to realize. I’ve been on this adventure for over eleven years now, and it’s just as fresh and frightening as those first days back in art school.

The world is desperately in need of more dreamers. Individuals who are not afraid to pursue the passions stirring in their hearts, and are willing to sail harsh waters to get there. All great dreams come at a cost to realize, but the reward of pursuing your passion is well worth it. And here’s the thing, the world becomes a more beautiful place as a result.

So don’t give up on your dreams. Do something today that stirs up your passion and creativity. The world is waiting to be made beautiful because of you!

HANNAH SHAVER
Pastel on Canson
24x18”

GOD’S HEART ON DISPLAY in Danbury CT

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 09:36:46 -0400

I spent the second half of 2008 creating an 11’ wide canvas for the Jericho Samaritan Center in Danbury CT. It was a tremendous challenge to create a picture that would visualize the heart of compassion embodied by the staff and volunteers of this nonprofit christian care agency. The painting was unveiled this March and hangs in the reception area as a grand welcome to the clients of the center. I wrote an artist’s statement that reveals more about the painting both in heart and content, and I thought I would share it with you here. I called the painting “God’s Heart on Display”.

Jericho Samaritan Center | God’s Heart on Display
Artist Statement by Alain J. Picard

In the midst of inner-city Danbury there is a safe haven known as the Jericho Samaritan Center, a place of refuge from the harsh storms of urban life. It exists to serve the needs of Danbury’s youth, from birth all the way through the high school years. The Samaritan Center operates in the spirit of the Good Samaritan as one giant heart beating with the love of Christ, and expressing that love through the ministries housed within it’s doors. These ministries include Young Life Danbury, Pathways Danbury mentoring program, Pathways Academy for at-risk boys, Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center, and the Samaritan Health Center. They partner together to provide hope and a future to its clients.

This painting reveals a new day of promise for the clients of the Jericho Samaritan Center as the sun shines over Rose Street from the east. The scene is bustling with energy and life while groups of two’s and three’s come and go. A Young Life leader walks up the street beside his high school friend on the way to play basketball. He is building bridges of authentic relationship that will lead to trust, respect and guidance. A Pathways mentor leads his mentee down a safe path, providing council and support along the way. Three sharply dressed boys descend the steps of the Samaritan Center, their faces filled with joy and laughter. They are a diverse group of Pathways Academy middle school students excited about school today and happy about tomorrow.

A mother embraces her infant child on the way out of the Samaritan Health Center. The care and counseling provided by Hopeline Pregnancy Resource Center helped this young mother to make critical decisions during her pregnancy that led to the birth of her beautiful daughter. Behind her, another woman and her toddler-aged boys stroll down the ramp after a visit to the pediatric clinic. These mothers are radiant with the blessing of knowing their children have access to quality medical care, and filled with a genuine sense of relief that there is help in the midst of their struggle.

I pray this painting will serve as a monument to a moment in time when God crashed in to 13 Rose Street and began a great restorative work through the willing servants of the Jericho Samaritan Center. Through their love and good deeds, God’s heart has been revealed, and his compassion is touching the lives of those in need of care. To view the faces of these clients is to know that their lives will never be the same again, for a safe haven has welcomed them in and they have encountered the love of God.

Pastel 100 competition

Sun, 22 Mar 2009 09:47:00 -0400

Every year The Pastel Journal magazine hosts a competition inviting all pastelists to submit their finest work to The Pastel 100 Competition. The top 100 works are selected by a panel of judges and published in the magazine as a selection of the year’s best and most inspiring pastel paintings. I had the incredible honor of being published with finalists in two categories, landscape and portrait/figure.