NEW ~ visit the gallery for updates

As 2011 comes to an end, Studio Charlebois would like to wish everyone a very happy and peaceful holiday!

The Flight Home

Tools

When it comes to visual research, a digital camera is an excellent tool to have. Even if you are not a professional photographer, your pictures can help you see perspectives that you wouln't normally notice with the naked eye. You can also use your pictures to study textures, proportions, colours and lines.

The following pictures (taken by Studio Charlebois) are a good example of colour combinations, lines, perspective and texture.

 

Work Space

Having a special corner setup with inspirational pictures, artwork, books and artistic treasures can help stem the makings of a masterpiece! If you don't have an office it's easy to setup a cork board, a library or a work table where you can brainstorm and go over your visual research. A corner, desk or office of your own where your mind can wonder freely is a key element for the development of those amazing ideas!





NEW ~ visit the gallery for updates

Studio Charlebois has added some new artwork to the web gallery, colourful and vibrant illustrations designed by Michelle Charlebois.

Miny traveling works of art!

Postage stamps, embassadors of the postal service; small images that travel around the world; each chosen to represent the nations from which they've began their journey!



BULGARIA ~ Source



 PARAGUAY ~ Source

ISREAL ~ Source



AUSTRALIA ~ Source

Take a look around

Study the world around you - Proportions; perspectives; colours, lines and movement. All around you is a wealth of visual knowledge that combined with your views and talent can create something new and unique. Always remember that art is a reflection of the artist's perspective; learn to communicate your message. 

Comic Con MTL

I was never a full blown comic book fan, specifically the MARVEL comics that I personally find a little static. However I can appreciate the work involved and the talent it takes to make it in such a saturated Field. After a visit to Comic Con in Montreal this September I saw the proportions that such an industry can take! It was interesting to see the contrast between the underground and commercial comics, not to mention the array of interesting people that go to comic con! 

After spending the entire day of having a fantastic time in a whole different world that marches to an entire different beat. I spent the night going threw my man's old comic collection and was surprised to find some Spiderman comic book covers (illustrated by McFarlane) that I just love.

Ginevra de' Benci

Ginevra de' Benci ~ my kind of picture perfect portrait; mellow hues, golden lights and harvest oranges; a fantastic harmony of light and shadow. You can sense this woman's reality.

Leonardo da Vinci: Ginevra de' Benci, 38 x 36.5cm. c. 1474

Note: the choice of blues and mauve's found at her left (your right) is a perfect example of the contrasting relationship between said colors and the rest of the colors in this portrait.

John Tenniel

John Tenniel ~ Famous for his illustrations of Alice and Wonderland. Beautifully illustrated creatures and places that have inspired children and adults through many generations.

Landon Mackenzie

Landon Mackenzie's work fascinates me, otherworldly and strangely organic, resembling molecular structures or energies. Her work never fails to hypnotize and send me whirling down a rabbit hole. I would love to own a tableau by Landon Mackenzie.



Un rêve de couleurs

Mylène Henry

J'adore! Ses illustrations de couleurs vibrantes, évoquent des souvenirs de prommenades dans la campagne et vous emportent dans un doux rêve dont ont ne veut pas se réveillé.

Visitez le site http://www.mylenehenry.com/ pour voir le portfolio des oeuvres de la Gaspsiénne Mylène Henry, une femme impressionante.

NEW ~ visit the Gallery for updates

  


L'Évolution de l'âme

 

Boris Artzybasheff ~ 1899 - 1965

Boris Artzybasheff

The Ukraine born New Yorker, captures my imagination in a split second! His illustrations are rich in creativity and never fail to move me. His background in the commercial arts is rich with progress; achieving excellence such as the Newbery Medal (1928 ~ Verotchka's Tales and The Undertaker's Garland), the Cardecott Honor Book (1938 ~ Seven Simeons).

However, what impresses me the most is his anthropomorphism, like my favorites below! 

Angie Lewin

Angie Lewin ~ Printmaker

Nature deserves to be lifted on a pedestal and glorified; immortalized as the purest form of creation.  The world over artists, designers, illustrators are accomplishing this noble task, and among them is one of my many favorites; Angie Lewin.

I fell in love with the work of Angie Lewin when I received from my sister, a printed card by Angie Lewin (See below). I was blown away by her simple style; her use of romantic colours and charming play of lines. 

Her work ranges from wood engravings, prints, illustrations, textile and watercolour paintings. I highly encourage those whom are looking to be inspired by the sumptuous English prints to visit her site at http://angielewin.co.uk/index.htm

 

JULY ~ Inspiration month

I would like to dedicate the month of July to the important personalities of the illustration industry. It's all about discovering illustrators and artists that have been a great source of inspiration for many. To kick off Inspiration Month I would like to start at the beginning; with the Cartoonist Bill Watterson.

When I was a little girl I was an avid comic book reader (thanks to my older brother's vast collection of comic books). One of my favorites was Calvin and Hobbes illustrated by an American cartoonist Bill Watterson. I would spend my entire afternoons reading over and over the entire collection. For many years Calvin and Hobbes was (and still is) one of my fondest childhood memories.

However, it wasn't till a few years ago that I started to look closely (with a professional eye) at the artwork behind the comic strip. I realized that Calvin and Hobbes was not just a wonderfully cheeky childhood favorite of mine, but a strong source of inspiration. The effective simplicity of the lines and the beautifully watercolor backgrounds are nothing short of a masterpiece in my opinion!

Bill Watterson is a fantastic cartoonist and I encourage those who are interested in important figures of the illustration industry to check out his biography and works.

COLOURS ~ a dreamlike state



Candy Land ~ 2005





KIWIKO ~ children's illustrations

Kiwiko and the dragon

Kiwiko and the Dragon is a promotional children's book created in 2006 when I was employed for the graphic design firm Kiwiko Communications.

Kiwiko and the Dragon is a story about a little kiwi bird that travels the world discovering strange new places and makes friends with bizarre creatures, creating a vast network of resources that metaphorically represent the professional relationships we hoped to develop with our clients.

Our target for this project was the editing industry, primarily children books. However, fate being what it is the project fell-threw, so I would like to share with the world Kiwiko in the hopes that he gets a little time in the lime-light! Because I think he is soooo cute and would have loved a little friend like him as a little girl.

SKETCHING ~ a stress releaser



Sketch - 2006

 Sketching is for artists a stress releaser; it's a diary, psychiatrist, a best friend or mom. It's where you can express all and every emotion with simple lines and textures. Often it helps to practice and sharpen your skills, sometimes discovering techniques that you can apply to your art work. I highly recommend keeping a sketch book with you at all times, especially for moments where you really don't know what to do with yourself. Sketch, sketch, sketch! You never know what may result from it.

Illustrator ~ my favorite computer medium

Here are some of Studio Charlebois' favorite digital art. Produced in 2006 for Kiwiko Communications of Ottawa, Ont.

Kitty Cat Kitty Cat ~ I love you

This is our cat Yoshi, a calm and zen felline that loves to be loved. His intellegent eyes watch you as you work around the house. He is the king of the place and doesn't let you forget it. Still an energetic hunter at the age of 12 he is one of my dearest friends; and this is why he so humbly deserves to be immortalizied in pen and ink.

Love thy name ~ A batallion of Rubber Duckies

A Battalion of Rubber Duckies (2007) Acrylic, 24" x 36"

Inspired by Ottawa's yearly charity duck race 

Giving a title to your artwork is not always an obvious task, but it is an important step to giving a piece substance and presence. 

In the fall of 2006 I participated in the annual Gallery 255 exhibit for the Conference Board of Canada. There I entered "Sweet Summer Strawberries" (2006), which was immediately admired by one of the Gallery's patrons. She loved the work but wasn't completely sold on it; I then mentioned that I was working on a new canvas that I entitled "A Battalion of Rubber Duckies". She was so delighted by the title, that the year after (once it was finished) came straight to the gallery and purchased the enchanting artwork!

This was my first lesson on the importance of the finished product and what a difference a good title can make. Art is a product of our true selves and it doesn't just end after the last brush stroke or once it's hung on a wall.

Je vous présente

Le printemps vibre de couleurs tendres, nous apportes des vents frais mêler de parfums sucrées, nous réchauffes avec un soleil rayonnant qui éveille les sens. Le monde ce réveille et nous réserves des temps chaleureux. Quelle autre description pourrais-je donner aux œuvres charmantes de Diane Charlebois, des tableaux d'aquarelle doter d'une beauté paisible.

Une artiste au talent créatif et rafraîchissant. Une femme moderne et inspirante. Diane nous communique la joie de vivre avec ses choix de couleurs vibrantes évoquant des souvenirs d'enfance et de moment précieux.

Son esprit artistique et ses connaissances professionnelles du domaine de l'art, son des outils de communications qu'elle a acquise a travers des années de vernissages, de campagnes promotionnel pour le studio Artisanwoodbois et la création de la Galerie 255, Ottawa, ON.

Je vous invite à découvrir ses œuvres et de célébrer cette artiste inspirante ainsi que les femmes créative de votre communauté!

 

Célébrons nos artistes Canadiens

Il est important de nos jours d'encourager la communauté artistique Canadienne débordante de talent. Nos villes et villages Canadiens son rempli d'artistes de toutes les sortes et nous oublions souvent que le Canada est un véritable havre de talent. J'aimerais vous faire connaître un artiste talentueux et inspirant qui a été pour moi une source d'inspiration importante.

Richard Charlebois, un artiste de marqueterie et entrepreneur du studio Artisanwoodbois, travaille le bois d'une façon simple et avec précision en transformant de fines lamelles de bois (du "veneer") en paysages magnifiques et harmonieux.

Cette ancienne technique développée par les Égyptiens lui a été enseigné au Rosewood Studio de Perth, ON. Une fois certifié, Richard, c'est démarquer avec ses talents et son ingénierie en perfectionnant son art. Aujourd'hui il inspire les professionnels, amateurs et admirateurs avec ses représentations passionnantes avec la beauté naturelle du bois.

Voici quelques exemples de ces oeuvres.

 

Vous pouvez aller encourager Richard au vernissage de Manotick dont vous trouveriez l'information ci-dessous.

Why a cowboy boot?

When I was a little girl my parents moved us out to Calgary, Alberta. There we experienced the best of the West: ranches of massive bulls, majestic mountains, arid lost lands of the dinosaur, beautiful native cultures and, of course, cowboys with their weathered boots and worn denim. It was, for a young girl, an adventure and a world of discoveries. I learnt to speak English and met fantastic people who, all on their own, had many stories to tell.

Once back in the East (Ontario), I was a teenage girl, impressionable, unsure, awkward but happy to be back among family and excited to see the Charlebois' back from the West! I had a "twang" in my English and a horrible accent when I spoke French but I quickly shed my apprehensions, mixed in well with my francophone surroundings, and realized that living in the West for nine years had made me a little different and perhaps interesting to some.

After high school and college, I decided that it was time to go back to my French roots and discover the side of me that was dormant – I moved to Montreal, Quebec. There the influence of the West really sets me apart and the cowboy boot quickly became my favorite conversation starter. Alberta may be far from me now and it almost seems like it belongs to another life, but I will always keep it close to my heart.

Here's to the West and it's many treasures!