Alain Francoeur is a multidisciplinary and anti-conformist artist who returns to the art scene after many years away from it. He will be showcasing his work at the VERSE showcase put on by RAW at Rialto Montreal on April 19th. During this evening full of live performances of art, runway shows, live hair and make-up, accessory design and visual art displays,  35+ talented artists will be involved.

Alain Francoeur kindly accepted to answer my questions.

Artist Alain Francoeur Interview:

 “be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”

Alain Francoeur, could you please tell us a bit about yourself and your universe?

I’m a self-taught multidisciplinary artist.  I paint, draw, make collage, carpentry, photograph and now create digital art. I never stop creating and I continue to evolve as an artist.  I always try to steer clear of conventional trends as I forge my own path.

I express myself through my artwork because my artwork is a window to my soul.

At the moment, my focus is on my digital artwork. I avidly post daily to social media and my artworks are well received on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.  I’m quite proud of this little accomplishment for someone who isn’t very tech savvy.

Were you always interested in art growing up? How did you come to art?

As far as I can remember, I was always doodling even as a very young kid.  On my first day of kindergarten, there was a printed outline of an image on a pad of paper and I recalled coloring it.  Apparently, my use of color was so cohesive that it awed the teacher.  It impressed her so much that she told my parent about it and ask them to encourage this talent of mine. The next day, my dad brought me a stack of coloring books.

So to answer your question, art found me. It sounds like a cliché, but I truly believe I was blessed with the gift of creativity.

Do you have or have had a mentor or other special person to guide you?

I have worked with many talented people over the years but I was never mentored.  I was always self-taught.

Your artworks seem beyond reality but is there any real-life situation that inspired you?

Not really.  But visits to the museums do help motivate and inspired me.  I am inspired by many wonderful artists such as Dali, Michelangelo, Basquiat, and Andy Warhol, just to name a few.

Could you explain your techniques?

It depends on what I’m doing.  I’m very versatile as an artist because I paint, draw, do carpentry, takes photos, collage, create digital art. If we use digital art as an example, I would start off by finding a piece of photo that inspired me.  Then I often visualize what that final art piece will look like but sometimes, I just work on the fly by adding and editing things until the final piece looks good to me.

I use Photoshop to compose my art pieces. In Photoshop, I begin with my inspirational photo by combining various other photos which I find online or create until everything looks like one cohesive art piece.  I often draw using my Wacom pen over my digital composition.  I keep editing my work until I’m fully happy with the results.

How has your style changed over the years?

My style hasn’t changed so much but my technique has.

My technique for each of my skillset, whether it be painting, drawing or collaging, has improved over the years.  For example, when I make a collage, I am able to get the job done faster and the final product is more refined now than at my beginnings.

Also over the years, I have picked up new skills in creating my artworks.  Today I can use a pencil, a brush or a mouse to create a piece of art. However, regardless of what I do, I think my use of color has always been harmonious.  That is one constant that has never changed over the years.

What are you currently working on?  What is your dream project?

I am in the process of editing a video for a school play.  It is a commission job. I’m not an expert in this field but I have always enjoyed learning and working with videos.

Besides that, I continue to create on a daily basis; whether it is drawing, collaging a piggy bank or creating a piece of digital art.  I like being busy.

I don’t really have a dream project but what I do dream about is to get a big studio one day which will allow me to work with bigger pieces.

Is artistic life lonely? What do you do to counteract it?

Not at all.  Social media really change things.  It has allowed me to communicate and interact with people that I normally wouldn’t have a chance to cross path with.

I’m an avid social media person.  I post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram on a daily basis.  I have many online friends and followers with whom I daily interact.

I invite your reader to take a peek at my Facebook page.   It is in French but you will get an idea of some of the things I have done by looking through my photo albums.

Besides the online community, I regularly go and visit other local artist’s exhibits.  I love to chat and see what other artists are up to in my city.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

One advice I got was from my dad.  He said, “stop saying you want to be an artist, just be one.” In fact, I have always been an artist.  I see it now.

People think success is what defines an artist, but the truth is that you’re an artist because you’re driven to create. That’s it.

Every artist dips his brush in his own soul because the world is but a canvas to our imagination.

And I will share my secret as an advice to the readers of CreativInn, “be fearless in the pursuit of what sets your soul on fire.”

Don’t hesitate to ask a question, Alain Francoeur will be very happy to answer, and visit his gallery at RAWArtists: http://www.rawartists.org/alainfrancoeur 

For tickets and further information visit: http://www.rawartists.org/montreal/verse

Wednesday, April 19th, 2017 at Rialto Montreal (5723 Park Avenue)
7pm-12am (Performances, Runways, Art Displays, etc.)
12am-1am (After Party with music by Terence Kissner)

RAW:natural born artists is an independent arts organization that hand-selects and spotlights independent creatives in visual art, film, fashion, music hair and makeup artistry, photography, models and performing art.
RAW’s mission is to provide up-and-coming artists of all creative realms with the tools, resources and exposure needed to inspire and cultivate creativity so that they might be seen, heard and loved. RAW educates, connects and exposes emerging artists in over 60 artistic communities in the United States, Australia, Canada and the UK.

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