On Friday, curator Anne Beliveau rounded off a fine season for her Studio Connexion art gallery by hosting the superb work of David Langevin. David, who now hails from Kamloops, paints beautiful landscapes and what he calls “tree portraits.”
For inspiration, he explores the hiking trails of the Kootenays and Rockies looking for unique “character trees” that come to life in his work. Utilizing transparent and translucent paints, Langevin brings the beauty of B.C. to life with bold textures and colors that seem to glow from the canvas.
“My favourite painter is Caravaggio,” says the artist. Caravaggio also made dramatic use of light in his works.
Since 1993, Langevin has been supporting himself full-time with his art, which is shown in galleries across Canada. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Ottawa and a Masters in Art Education from McGill University.
He has some advice for aspiring artists who want to pursue it as a career. He recommends not only honing the craft and technique, but mastering the “business and marketing end” of making a living through art. Those interested in David Langevin’s work can see some examples and a video of his techniques at www.davidlangevin.com.
Anne and David became acquainted through a Nakusp squash tournament, and several in attendance at the show were also fellow squash players. Anne was particularly eager to host the work of a francophone artist.
“One of my goals is to expose the people of Nakusp to Quebecois culture,” says Beliveau, who tries to bring a French element into at least one show each year. She began her art studio with shows of Quebecois antique furniture and it grew from there. In fact, Anne has a great love for all the arts, including film, theatre, music, and sculpture. Studio Connexion is set up in a dedicated portion of her home.
“I set it up as a home business to make it financially viable,” says Beliveau.
Studio Connexion’s season usually runs from mid-May to mid-October. This year featured Bryn Stevenson, a Kootenay boy and self-taught painter passionate about mountains; Boukje Elzinga from Hills; photographer K.O. Grunther from New-Denver; Ed Kemp, a wildlife painter from Alberta and local artist Barbara Maye. In late November and December, Anne will host the third annual “Deck the Walls” event for the holiday season. The featured artists are to be announced at a later date.
While summer tourists help support the studio, she says local people can help support the arts in the Arrow Lakes region. Anne encourages everyone to come to a show without feeling an obligation to buy.
“Once they come, they start to see what they like and fall in love with it,” she explains. Admission is free, and she will book special appointments outside of the regular schedule with 24 hours notice. Studio Connexion is located at 203 5th Avenue, and the email address is studioconnexion@telus.net.