Artist Bio
Gerard was born and raised in the quaint seaside town of Sete, located on France's mesmerizing Mediterranean coast. As a young boy, he developed a deep appreciation for his surroundings, often taking long walks along the quay, mesmerized by the sight of fishing boats announced and dispatched by the rhythmic ebbs and flows of the sea. He was just 10 years old when he held his first art exhibition, an event located rather charmingly in his mother's hairdressing salon.
Art had always run in Gerard's veins. His paternal grandfather, a well-known stage artist, and his father, a skilled furniture craftsman, were his early artistic influencers. Recognizing his drawing talent and keen aesthetic sensitivity, Gerard's parents enrolled him in an art school where he honed his skills and prepared for a future at one of the major art academies in France.
However, financial constraints impeded his art education. His parents had no choice but to place him in the Air Force, where he became an aircraft engineer. It is only after migrating to Australia that Gerard managed to circle back to his first love, art. He established his own business venture, Art on Walls, thus finally gaining the creative platform he had long yearned for.
Gerard's work is heavily inspired by Realism and Trompe l'oeil, a genre that cleverly tricks the eye into perceiving a two-dimensional object as a tangible, three-dimensional entity. Fascinated with illusionary concepts, he applies meticulous research and preparatory studies before setting brush to canvas.
He developed his technique through a combination of learnings from the past, abundant self-exploration, books, and video courses. His careful selection of light and colours work in harmony to create a captivating, other-worldly experience across his portfolio, making his art truly unique.
One of Gerard's standout projects was a large mural for a children's hospital. The expression of gratitude from a parent, who remarked on how the mural had positively impacted their sick child's perspective about their situation, was the most rewarding moment of his career.
Gerard belongs to the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) and presents his work at the esteemed Artworld-studio gallery. His exceptional artistry earned him the Best of Houzz 2018 award, and has been prominently featured in the Brisbane Art & Antique magazine.
Art enthusiasts love the 'window effect' that's characteristic to Gerard's work - a vignette into another realm that one can casually peer into. When not making art, he enjoys building model boats and planes and immersing himself in crafting activities.
Although not a full-time artist, Gerard makes use of his art expertise in his work as an illustrator. His projects include commissioned illustrations for a technical book and a book designed for children with disabilities. His passion for art seeps into his work as an illustrator, adding a unique spur of creativity in his service.
With a belief to continually evolve and not being discouraged by artificial barriers, Gerard's artistic journey is guided by an earnest desire to create. He views the role of art in society as multifaceted – a tool for beautification, dialogue, and, most importantly, evolution. His life, much like his art, is a testament to the transformative power of passion, perseverance, and boundless creativity.
Statement
Artist Statement
My Journey as an Artist
My journey as an artist began, as with so many children, with a love of drawing. In fact, all kinds of manual and construction activities attracted me as a child. My parents, recognizing my natural artistic flair, sent me to a fine arts school for several years, until I was about seventeen. The experience was pure joy. I loved it all, and I remember especially the smells of the art studio, a mixture of paint, clay and turpentine.
This pathway, however, was sadly not to continue, as I then entered the French Air Force. Yes, I am French, born on the Mediterranean Coast of France in the fishing port of Sѐte. I suppose being French kind of goes hand in hand with being an artist, but at this point in my life such was not to be. I was born in the post-World War 2 era, and my parents saw a need for job security, rather than me becoming a Rembrandt or a Gauguin. My artistic journey was therefore interrupted.
In 1974, I married an Australian girl, and we set forth to make a life for ourselves in the north of France. I worked in aviation at Bourget Airport in Paris, and we got on with family life. In my spare time I painted, thriving on the encouragement of my wife and children. Our home became my gallery. At this point, my painting style was heavily influenced by the great French classics, and I loved painting still life, landscape and seascape. Oil on canvas became my hobby.
In 1986 we decided to emigrate to Australia, a life changing experience on many levels. For one thing, it signalled the end of my career in aviation, as I was determined to forge a new career in art. This began when I decided to do a graphic art course in Brisbane in 1988, with a view, of course, to opening a graphic art business, which I did, under the name of “GM Design”.
The nature of my business evolved very quickly, as I saw opportunity to make my art even more commercial beyond just graphic art. I began to do murals, commission paintings, decorative art for commercial venues and home interiors and exteriors, and eventually gilding. It was a world of art expression that I would never have dreamt of in France, and there I was, making a career of it in Australia. The name of my business changed most appropriately to “Art on Walls”.
As I continue to run my business today, my focus has turned more to fine art, a kind of return to the origins of my love of art, and also a return to my personal origins in the Mediterranean region of France. I love painting everything Mediterranean, but with the difference that I now paint in “trick of the eye” style [“trompe l’oeil”] . I am particularly proud of my window effect paintings, which have proven very popular.
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