"Visual expression, my life's journey"

   
    Indeed, life has been an interesting journey so far, with many creative ventures and adventures along the way, and it is fun
to look back and see how it all started.

    I started doing murals when I was in my teens, in high school, actually. However,
I also have vague memories of doing some drawing on the walls when I first learned to write my own name, and my parents remember more than I do, but even back then I made sure I signed my name.

    High school was really an ambiguous time, as far as what I wanted to do and what career path to take. My strength even back then was creativity and I was certainly into anything creative but especially visual if at all possible. Airbrushing on vans and cars was very popular at that time, not unlike the current resurgence in the customizing car industry etc. and I enjoyed this kind of work immensely. My dream was mostly to design future cars and stuff like that, both the design aspect and sculptural and conceptual part of it.

    Not knowing where to start, I enrolled in a class and studied auto body work and refinishes and learned the basics of car repair and painting. I then went on to study graphic design at the Holland Collage School of Arts in Chalottown, PEI. Finally, after a few years of on-the-job experience as a graphic designer, I ventured on to study a bit more about the conceptual and initiative aspect of fine arts, namely, at the Campus de l'Universite de Moncton.

    Those years and training really helped me to ground myself as an artist and designer. They were also lean years as far as work goes but I was more interested in learning about my trade and living life than in making money.  Illustration and mural painting became my "gagne pain." Being self-employed had its benefits of freedom.... and so did it have its responsibilities of finding and searching for the "bread and butter." Thankfully, my visual marketing skills have always come easily to me and they helped me to move forward and onward to better and greater projects and contracts.

    It was in 89' or so that I actually ventured into the 3-D side of creativity. Mascot-making! You know, those fuzzy creatures at the local school games and festival? Yes, indeed, for the next ten years or so I dove right into it and enjoyed making and creating an array of characters for schools, organizations, teams, businesses, etc.

    H'art Creations Studios became my production house and "little baby," so to speak. From Design to illustrations to 3-D prototype molding and casting to creating full-size mascot costumes and of course Murals, 'we' were there and I explored. It was a relatively small operation of one to five employees and yet, to this day, our fabrication style techniques and quality are still second to none.
    However, that too was also about to change and grow. A series of events and circumstances led me to close the studio and leave those ideas and ventures behind for the time being and I settled into a 9-to-5 job with regular work hours at the local Theater of New-Brunswick. Not a bad proposition, actually!

    The calm and stability of that regular work schedule allowed me enough space to refocus and reground my career direction and path. The creative projects and responsibilities at TNB did keep me well interested and driven, to say the least. Props master at the time, I still had enough side projects to explore. From 'Maquettes' and theater design to creating props and some paintings, I learned and explored that field in depth.

  Still, something was missing, as I longed for more creativity and intimate visual expression. It was Rick Bruns, a dear and respected artist friend, who inspired and encouraged me to move forward and closer to both my fine arts and mural career.

    Having received a grant from the Canadian Arts Council for emerging artist that same year, I initiated a body of work called "Getting in touch" to explored further and deepen my understanding of art with its intimate connection to its language, and my own freedom to 'let go' in that regard.

Not being the typical or stereotypical 'Artist' that people expected, I continued my venture doing murals for the public at large and Fine art at my own leisure ... and for my own liberation.

    Interestingly enough, a new twist came about that same year, an offer to move and work in Toronto, Ontario doing what I do best and enjoy most: Painting fancy faux finishes and beautiful Murals for high-end residences and clientele (One might say I'm still signing my name on walls, expect this time it's on someone else's ... with a little more 'oomph' and pizazz, mind you. :) )

    To this day, I continue to learn my own artistic language, if you will, while enjoying and sharing it with others around in my field of play and with the world at large ... and I'm still looking forward to seeing what new adventure lies around the next bend.

Kind regards,

  Serge (V. Richard)