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Finding beauty in the ordinary.

Born in Montreal, Renée knew from an early age that she wanted to draw and paint. “I always had a pencil in my hand – although until the age of 13 no-one thought I had any artistic ability, as even my writing was atrocious !” But, somehow in her teens all that changed, and her skills started to assert themselves.

About Renée

However, the business world and motherhood diverted her from fulfilling her goal until her late thirties, when she began her artistic journey through Concordia University and her first watercolour teachers, Renata Heidersdorf of Beaconsfield, and Ming Ma, a Chinese watercolourist. After that, there was no holding her back. She went on to take workshops and courses with many American watercolourists, including Judi Betts, Stephen Quiller and Chen-Khee Chee, to name just a few.

Renée has had solo shows in galleries and community centres in Montreal, the United States, and Ontario. She has participated in many juried shows where she has won awards for her works. Her paintings can be found throughout Canada, the United States and also Holland , Germany and even Australia. She is a juried member and Past President of the Lakeshore Artists Association, was one of the founding members of the Dollard Artists, and is an Honorary Member of the Beaconsfield Artists and a member of the Dorval Artists Association. She also has been a major donator to the PBS Arts Auction in Plattsburgh, N.Y., has had her works appear in the “MAGAZIN'ART – LE RÉPERTOIRE BIENNAL DES ARTISTES CANADIENS EN GALERIES”, and has had some of her paintings reproduced by “Les Éditions Galerie Imagerie”.

Renée teaches watercolour and drawing, not only in her home studio in Dollard but also at the Dollard Centre for the Arts and for certain Golden Age groups. “I love interacting with people of all ages, teaching them to look at the world through my kind of ‘rose-coloured glasses.’ I had one elderly widow tell me that she found a reason to wake up each morning since she discovered painting – how wonderful is that !”

Since Renée is a versatile artist – Nature in all its shapes and sizes - she is well-loved by her students who learn to paint a variety of subjects. From landscape to florals, animals to people, Renée has tried it all - “I’m not scatter-brained, but I love to try new things all the time and don’t want to get stuck in a rut; variety is the spice of life !” She also loves to experiment with new papers and watercolour methods which she then teaches to other artists through workshops and demonstrations. “Watercolour has so many wonderful nuances and styles to work with; you can be extremely detailed or wonderfully free and loose – it all depends on your frame of mind”.

View Renée’s Works

Featured
Polygons
Polygons

I began looking at nature from a geometric point of view a few years ago, turning some of my nature subjects into polygons. Playing with colour and shape in an abstracted way resulted in this playful, almost stained glass effect, giving me a new way of expressing myself with watercolour.

Florals
Florals

Painting flowers is such a joy in watercolour. The medium’s transparency and fluidity are naturally suited to these subjects, and I can express my joy through the flowers’ vibrant colours, shapes and sizes.

Landscape
Landscape

From busy cityscapes to peaceful country sides, I am drawn to the movement within the landscape. I often incorporate people into these paintings, perhaps helping the viewer see themselves in the scene.

People
People

I am not a portrait artist, but I do enjoy painting people, especially children, in day to day situations. Each painting tells its own story and hopefully resonates with the viewer.

Still Life
Still Life

I hope my paintings are not too “still”, as I try to imbue a sense of being in the moment, creating not only a still life but a story in someone’s life.

Nature
Nature

With so much in nature to choose from, I never tire of finding subjects for my paintings, be it a tiny frog, a mighty lion, or a forgotten scarecrow. Most of my subjects stem from my own photos or the use of reference photos as a start, expanding them into fresh possibilities.

Animal Portraiture
Animal Portraiture

Animals have always been a part of my family, and painting my own pets came naturally to me, and this evolved into painting commissions for other peoples’ companions. I try not only to get a likeness but to embody the animal's soul so that the owner can remember their spirit and looks.