An important painter/sketch artist of the Yukon, Yvette Bourque, has done a lot for the artistic community since she arrived.
Artistic event organizations are often asking for her work because it’s peaceful, precise and looks good. She has just finished an exhibition at the Chocolate Claim.
Originally from Moncton, Bourque went to school at the Art College of New Brunswick. She also had a sculpture class with private teachers at the Quebec sculpture’s Mecca: St-Jean-Port-Joly.
She spent a period of her life creating art just once in a while and for her own needs and for special events.
Travelling to different jobs across Canada, she finally moved North.
Bourque began a second life creating and painting more professionally since she arrived in Whitehorse three years ago.
“I like to paint faces and personages. A painting is determined by the look of my subject. The eyes are the most important part of my work,” says Bourque.
She’s now working sometimes as a private art teacher, giving workshops for the public and students, participating in different exhibitions and live painting events.
Bourque exhibited her creations in coffee shops, French Association and Yukon Arts Centre.
When you watch Bourque play with water colour, it seems so easy but it’s not so straight forward. Rapidly, you discover a unique, harmonious accomplishment of simple lines that give birth to strongly emotional faces.
The dynamic of the painting is spaced, sweet and expressive; the artist doesn’t need to use that much colour to hypnotize the eye of the public.
That kind of work can remember the big open areas of the east, the fields and the closeness of the water. The feeling of loneliness in Bourque’s paintings could be compared with the atmospheres of the famous Quebec painter Jean-Paul Lemieux: the subjects of her paintings enjoy life.
The work of Yvette Bourque invites us to dream and escape the real world with a bunch of gentle colours, peace and curves.
She brings a piece of the quiet art of the east coast to the North.
Make a difference, make art
This summer, a new video initiation, leaderships and multimedia arts camp is now offered to women 16 to 24 years of age.
Monte le son … dans le Nord du pays is a one week art camp to help young women express themselves artistically on the important social questions.
They will learn to communicate situations, problems and solutions to the public via movie making, theatre, hip hop and native art.
The purpose of the experience is to motivate participants to build artistic projects in their own town. This will make a difference in the community and, gradually, change the world.
The art camp is happening here in Whitehorse, July 18 to 24. It’s mostly English-speaking workshops, but some of the activities are in French. You don’t need to be a professional artist, you just have to be curious. For more information, contact keetha@powercampnational.ca.
