New Paintings

at 2260 Oak Bay Avenue

May 9 – 29, 2010

 Preview
Saturday, May 8, 2010   10 am – 5:30 pm
(work subject to prior sale)

Opening Reception
Sunday, May 9, 2010   1 pm – 5 pm

Elizabeth Ely, harpist;   Karel Roessingh, pianist

Born in Montreal, Richard Montpetit was mainly self-taught with some guidance from artist/father Rolland Montpetit.  He has travelled extensively in Europe, Africa, Caribbean, Mexico, and Canada.

“I’ve always loved capturing moods as well as the changes in light that occur from morning to dusk, from one season to the next.  Everything about light intrigues me – even its almost total absence in night scenes.  I’ve endeavoured to render the distinctive light of each country where I’ve travelled and painted.

In my urban scenes, contrary to my landscapes, I emphasize the anecdotal, or more specifically the signs of the times.  My subject in these instances is still light, a particular light at a precise moment.  But it is also Montreal as I perceive it, especially on the Plateau Mont-Royal.  There are pedestrians that take the form of enigmatic figures.  There are parking meters, parked cars, a truck, a bus, trees, a striped awning, traffic lights, illuminated signs, snow-covered stairs, the downward slope of a sidewalk, an amusing woman, a few pigeons and, of course, bicycles.

Those are the things I love, what I love to paint.  It’s my way of commenting on my life and times.  Through these urban subjects, I explore the themes of solitude, everyday existence, and the passing of time. “

Richard Montpetit