Artist Jacques Pilon’s colourful abstracted landscapes display a masterful study in balance; bold swathes of colour interact with finely wrought markings, while carefully constructed forms are energized with gestural movements.
Based in the Niagara region, the artist works in acrylics and watercolour to create his saturated works. In our newest interview, we delve into the creative mind and process of Jacques Pilon, offering a glimpse into the artist behind the canvas.
And now from the artist himself, JACQUES PILON.
All images courtesy of Jacques Pilon
A conversation with Jacques Pilon
Caroline Erez : Can you share a bit about your artistic journey and how you developed your unique style?
Jacques Pilon: I’ve been drawing and painting since I was a teenager so It’s hard to pinpoint when I developed a personal style. I think if you work at something long enough you end up repeating yourself in some ways either with your colour preferences or composition and even how you draw a line or make a mark. These elements become your artistic language and they eventually become an integral part of your work and inevitably your style.
I often change my approach to painting but despite my best efforts, even though the work may appear different on the surface, I can still see myself in it. In other words, I can’t run away from myself. Whatever I do, I’m in there. I’ve been asked a few times by beginner artists how they should go about developing their own style. My response is always to just keep painting and drawing. Do it often, every day if possible, and after a while you’ll find yourself in the work. Patterns and themes will develop that are definitely all about you.
CE: What or who are your biggest sources of inspiration?
JP: Nature. I know it sounds clichéd but it’s true. It’s so nurturing and inspiring: the way things all work together to create this amazing, beautiful world we live in. A dark, gloomy day looks as good to me as a bright sunny one. All my work, even though it may not be obvious, is always landscape art.
I’m very inspired by other artists. I have too many favourites to mention but if I had to pick only two it would be Diebenkorn and Motherwell. Rothko and Twombly are close seconds. Whenever I visit an art gallery I get back home or to the hotel with a real urge to paint. If we’re far from home and I forgot to bring a few travel art supplies, I usually get a sketchbook and cheap supplies and start doing something. It’s an irresistible urge.
CE: How do you approach the question of meaning in your abstract work?
JP: I think that because I’m very influenced by landscapes, I never really struggle too much with the meaning of a piece. My work always evokes a landscape. There’s almost always a horizon line and If there isn’t it’s because in my mind, I’m looking at it from above. None of my work is political. That’s not why I paint. I think we all know the world is in rough shape and we don’t need reminders of how bad it is from artists when we’re actually looking to art to give us beauty or respite.
CE: Could you walk us through your creative process from conception to completion of a piece?
JP: That’s a tough one. It’s never the same. Because I do non-objective work I never start with a plan. A plan will inevitably stifle the creative process. My only starting point is colour. Is this piece going to be a primarily red, green, blue, grey, purple, or whatever piece. Depending on the predominant colour, I will lay down the complementary of that colour first so that any bit’s that might show through are the complementary colour. That’s not to say that I won’t change my mind in 20 minutes and do something completely different.
The next step is making random marks. I use water-soluble crayons or graphite and mess them up with an acrylic gel medium. I drag the marks back and forth or up and down. This gives me a good background to hang the image on. Sometimes I see the painting or composition emerge from this early stage. Again, there’s still no guarantee I will keep any of this work. Painting is a real back and forth. I tend to react to what I just did. For example, if I mix a colour I love and use it, it could mean the whole painting changes because my reaction to that colour or where I laid it sends me in another direction.
Add to that all the normal insecurities that most artists suffer from and the process takes many turns along the way. In fact, sometimes I get so frustrated that I wonder whether I’ll ever be able to paint another picture. I feel I’ve lost it all, if indeed I ever had it. It’s sometimes a wonder a painting ever emerges from all this. It can take a week, two weeks, even a month of setting the work aside and starting a new one and going back with fresh eyes.
It’s a rare piece that gets done from start to finish over the course of a day or two. I will often think a piece is done and I’m happy with it only to look at it a week later and think “what was I thinking? This is unacceptable” and paint over it. I won’t lie. It’s a painful, frustrating process. Anyone that says they find painting relaxing is not doing it right.
CE: Do you have any rituals or routines that help you get into a creative mindset?
JP: Like I mentioned before, going to galleries or looking at other artists’ work is a good way for me to kickstart a painting session. Aside from that, I’m pretty much always ready to paint or draw. I have to admit that getting materials I’ve never used before or a new paper to try will always get my creative juices flowing.
CE: What techniques or mediums do you enjoy working with the most, and why?
JP: I used to work in oils until I couldn’t anymore because of the vapours. Once I gave up my day job and started to paint daily, I switched to acrylics. It was quite a learning curve for me. They have no real odor even though I’m sure they’re just as toxic in their own way, but they dry extremely fast. It can be a matter of minutes whereas oil will take a week and still remain tacky. It was difficult at first but I’ve grown to appreciate what they offer and there are so many gel mediums that you can mix with them to achieve different results, like transparency for example. I think if anything has forced me to change my style it would be the switch from oils to acrylics. It’s almost inevitable.
Another favourite of mine is watercolours. I LOVE that medium. The looseness and random qualities you get from watercolour makes them hard to use but really fun. I will combine watercolours with inks and coloured pencils in works on paper to create rich, layered works. To be honest, I prefer work on paper. It allows me to be looser and I really like the results. Unfortunately, many people feel work on paper is less valuable or worthy, which is complete nonsense. The graphic designer in me loves the esthetic of a beautifully framed piece behind glass as much if not more that works on canvas or panel.
CE: How do you choose your color palette or use texture in your work?
JP: I love green and purple together. I also like reds in combination with greens and blues and oranges. Those are my go-to colours. I tend to be heavy on the blues because of the landscape themes but much of my work is not so obviously landscape that blue is essential. Having said that, I use a lot of greys and neutrals along with those other colours. it’s more relaxing to the eye to have primary hues tempered with greys and beiges.
As far as texture goes, I don’t really have to work at it. Because I paint over my work so many times while I’m working, a texture forms without any effort. Sometimes it’s so heavy I have to cut it off with a knife so that it doesn’t interfere too much with new paint applications. I always joke that each painting has two more underneath it. I’ve never had to distress a surface in order to achieve texture
CE: What are some of the challenges you face as an artist, and how do you overcome them?
JP: Selling artwork is a real challenge. I use galleries because they have client lists to which they can promote and they’re good about dealing with trying out paintings in a client’s home. It’s not that I wouldn’t do it myself but it takes a lot of time that I would rather use painting. I have no problem giving a gallery its percentage of my fee because they certainly earn it most of the time.
I don’t have many people who reach out to me directly to buy a piece. It’s nice when it happens because I almost never know anything about the people who buy my work or what they like about it. A direct sale gives me feedback I don’t normally get.
A pet peeve is people who don’t like or understand abstract work in general and dismiss it as something their kid could do. All I can say is good luck with that. If your child has developed a sophisticated sense of colour and an understanding of composition and their chosen medium and regularly, consistently puts out the work, congratulations, you have a genius on your hands — but you probably don’t respect them.
CE: Can you share a particularly memorable experience or moment in your artistic career?
JP: When my first gallery had sold out of everything they chose to show. It was so empowering. It made me feel like maybe I have a chance at this fine art career after all.
CE: How do you hope your art will impact viewers?
JP: I’ve been told that my work is “difficult”. I assume that means it’s challenging, and I take that as a compliment. It means that when someone buys one of my pieces they’re invested in it. It speaks to them and they want it in their lives. They didn’t just pick it because it had the right blue in it. They picked it because it has meaning for them. Okay, so maybe it has the right blue as well.
I want viewers to be moved by what they feel. It’s not going to be what they see in a piece because nothing is ever defined in non-objective work. it’s always more about how it makes you feel.
CE: How do you see your artistic practice evolving in the future?
JP: I don’t know if I can look that far ahead. I have enough challenges day to day so there’s not much time to consider a future me. I know that I want my work to increase in value so that clients not only buy my work because they like it but because they also feel they’re making a wise investment.
My art career has been a constant evolution. I’ve never been certain where I was going to end up. I like the uncertainty, and I think that will keep me fresh and motivated.
Final Favourites with Jacques
Colour? Green and/or purple
Place of inspiration? At my drafting table looking at my old sketchbooks
Quote? “Either I go or that wallpaper goes” – Oscar Wilde
Work you’ve completed? A recent work called Scirocco.
Guilty Pleasure? Wine gums
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Pilon’s works challenge us to consider our world through his expressive, painterly eye. To view more of his nuanced work, please visit his website or instagram.
At Caroline Erez Design we recognize the transformative power of art in creating unique and inspiring spaces. If you’re intrigued by Jacques’s work and wish to incorporate his art into the interior design of your home, contact us today for a consultation. Together, we’ll select art for your living space, creating an atmosphere that reflects your appreciation for beauty and living an artful life.
