Maritime Beaches… Rock!
Rotunda Gallery | November 5 – December 17, 2021
Artist Statement
I have been collecting rocks since early childhood and you wouldn’t believe how much space that takes in my house. As a kid, I walked many Maritime beaches because I thoroughly enjoyed the search, the digging, the joy of discovery. To this day that still represents the happiest moments of my life. This was formative as an artist because it developed my observation skills.
Imagine yourself on a Maritime Beach: You see the constantly changing sky, the water with its many moods. You hear shore birds screeching , the crashing waves, the rocks rolling back and forth. You feel the wind on your face. You smell the salty air. You walk on the sand and then… you notice the rocks! Time to touch them all. It’s a total existential experience for the mind. I marvel at the huge variety of colours, shapes and types of rocks. Maritime beaches are really full of treasures.
I paint my works in a close-up view as if seen through a magnifying glass. I chose watercolour as a medium because of its versatility and because it best expressed my personal emotional response to the subject.
The source of my inspiration is nature itself! Maritime beaches undergo constant remodelling of its shores with its twice daily tides changing the display of shapes, forms and colours. The play of shadow and light and the adding of bits of wood, sea life or vegetation complete nature’s master work. This is an outstanding show of creativity in action. It’s a massive collection of panoramic scenery that’s been available for millions of years. Nature has had a lot of practice. I humbly want to share my vision so you too can be transported right back to the oceanside and inspire you to relive the joy of discovery. You will truly understand why I believe Maritime Beaches…Rock!!
Biography
Bernard Quintal was born in 1956 in St-Quentin, New Brunswick. He obtained a medical degree at Ottawa University. Since 1981, Bernard has lived with his spouse Lucie in the Dalhousie region of New Brunswick beside the beautiful Bay of Chaleur. Bernard started painting with watercolours in 1979. However, a busy medical practice curtailed his artistic endeavours for many years. Bernard is mainly a self-taught artist, but since 2015 he enrolled in several watercolour workshops. He now paints regularly.
Bernard’s current interest is a close-up exploration of Maritime beaches, especially the colourful rocks and odd items found there, such as driftwood, shells and vegetation. He has a need to preserve a memory of childhood pristine shores reliving the joy of discovery. He wants to transport the viewer to feel a timeless, existential, meditative and joyful experience.
Bernard’s maritime beaches artworks were presented in September 2019 at the Fourth Annual Drawing and Painting Symposium held near Dalhousie, NB. This was followed in February 2020 by a show at the Andrew and Laura McCain Gallery in Florenceville. Then, they were presented at Sunbury Shores Arts and Nature Centre Art Gallery in Str-Andrews in July 2020. His last show was in September 2020 at Gallery 78 in Fredericton.
Bernard is a graduate of the Arts Link Catapult program and has received grants from Arts NB. Bernard is a member of CARFAC and AAAPNB (Association of Professional Acadian Artists of New Brunswick).