André Vaillant is a landscape artist based in Victoria, British Columbia. His paintings are inspired by the remote and rugged vistas that are found on Vancouver Island’s many hiking trails and backcountry wilderness areas.
Artist Statement
There are two places where I’ve always felt like I belonged, in the wilderness and behind my drafting table working on a painting. As an avid hiker and outdoorsman, I feel constantly drawn to the wilderness and the deeper or more remote the location the greater the allure of it. The raw beauty of the landscapes is both timeless in nature and in a constant flux of change. Though many of these areas are accessible by some trail or another, it’s always been apparent that not everyone is able to reach these areas and even my own physical ability to reach them is finite. I see my paintings as “Mementos of the Wild”; a way of reliving my time in these places and of sharing these incredible vistas with both those who might be unable to travel and see it for themselves.
I often describe my current work as “geometric” or “tight” impressionism. Through the use precise techniques and an angular style, I use this impressionistic approach to not only accurately depict the remote vistas I visit but also stive to capture the emotional atmosphere and character of the landscape. I’ve always been very intrigued with how light effects the mood and emotional quality of a landscape; how it changes in tone, accentuates the texture of a surface, or the intense contrast it creates like that of sun after a passing storm. Expressing the emotional quality of this light while being true to the form of a landscape is a challenge I love to wrestle with and is something that I stive to bring to life in my works.
I see my work as an opposition to the post-modernism in the artistic community; championing precision, craftsmanship, aesthetics, and composition. Living in a world that is constantly facing unprecedented challenges at breakneck speeds, I believe that slowing down and seeing the beauty of the world around us is more important than ever. Even the ocean mist illuminated by a rising sun or the failing light of a day in the alpine can spark reverence. It is these moments i try to capture. Above all else I strive for a mastery over my craft so that I’m able to capture, express, and share these moments of beauty I’ve found in the remote places of the wilds with those around me.
Artist Bio
André Vaillant is a self-taught Canadian landscape painter, currently based in Victoria, British Columbia. As an avid hiker and outdoorsman, his work is primarily inspired by the rugged beauty of the Canadian wilderness and the many hiking trails found in Canada’s National and Provincial Parks.
His paintings are defined by a tight and precise approach to modern impressionism which is accentuated by his angular style. Focusing mainly on the forms of a landscape, and their interactions with atmospheric light, André strives to capture and express the emotional quality this light evokes in the context of an environment. Rebelling against the concepts and ideals of post-modernism; he prefers to focus on mastery of his craft and the ability to visually communicate the emotional context of the remote landscapes that he visits through precision and beauty.
Curriculum Vitae
b. Ottawa, ON - 1987
Currently lives and works in Victoria, BC and is an Active Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists since January 2024.
EDUCATION
2005-2006 Pre-Design - Algonquin College, Ottawa ON
2006-2009 Graphic Design - Algonquin College, Ottawa ON
SELECT GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Victoria Chapter - Federation of Canadian Artist: Fall Show - Fortune Gallery, Victoria BC (juried)
2024 Sooke Fine Arts Show - Sooke, BC (juried)
2024 Victoria Chapter - Federation of Canadian Artist: Summer Show - Fortune Gallery, Victoria BC (juried - Honourable Mention)
2024 Federation of Canadian Artists: Landscapes Exhibition - Granville Island (juried)
2024 John B. Aird Gallery: Drawing 2024 - Toronto (juried)
2024 Art Gallery Ring: Artist of the Month: May- (juried - Emerald Award of Excellence)
2024 Art Gallery Ring: Alive 2024 - (juried - Golden Trio Award of Excellence)
2024 Federation of Canadian Artists: Annual International Representational Exhibition - Granville Island (juried)
2023 Sooke Fine Arts Show - Sooke, BC (juried)
2022 ArtSpacific Exhibition - Langley, BC (juried - First Place Recipient)
2022 Sooke Fine Arts Show - Sooke, BC (juried)
COLLECTIONS
Private collections in Canada and the United States
AWARDS
2024 Modern Impressionist Salon June/July - Honourable Mention
2024 Victoria FCA Summer Show: Honourable Mention
2024 Art Gallery Ring Artist of the Month: Emerald Award
2024 Art Gallery Ring: Golden Trio Award of Excellence
2022 ArtSpacific Exhibition: Best in Show/First Place
PUBLICATIONS
2024 ARTIT: Bringing Landscapes to Life
2024 Modern Impressionist Magazine - June/July
André is an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists
