Geneviève ''Gene'' Garand   

Genevieve Gene. Garand was born in 1980 in Grand-Mere (Quebec, Canada). She practices and loves arts since she was old enough to hold a pencil. Won her first drawing contest at age of 6 and took her first oil painting at 7. As a teenager, she made a pause and did few acrylic pieces for pleasure until the end of her studies in administration. The 4 months job contract in Comoros Island in 2003 was a beginning for a magnificent artistic return. These jewels that are the Comoros Islands and the grace Gene received from the insightful – generous- loving –caring people have been showed in the collection she made and sold after the trip.

She studied with many great artists and went to Ecole des Beaux Arts de Montreal to improve her style and skills.

Over the past years Gene has created a unique collection of country music artwork. As a highly talented portraitist, Gene has paint portraits of country music legends including George Jones, Kris Kristofferson, Loretta Lynn… She travelled extensively with these paintings to have them autograph by the subject of her paintings. And for many of these excellent legends of country music that we have had and who have left their impact on country music, she painted them on the different scenes of the Grand Ole Opy through eras. Her collection has been featured in magazines in Texas, Tennessee, Ohio and Canada, shown in Memphis, Cleveland, New-York, and many cities in Canada. Gene received the The Arts Club (Montreal) gold medal for this collection.

As a contemporary artist, I love to create artwork in today’s color with the comfort of yesterday.

True values of life are my integrity. Emotions lead me.

While being inspired through my travels, I am also inspired by music. Being a huge country music lover, I have created and I now present a unique collection of country music artwork. My style include the use of many techniques and mediums. My choice of pure colors and pronounced contours present a variation to meanings and elements expressed in each of my works; giving objects my individualized perception. I especially like painting portrait where I can fuse the unique expression of each person into my paintings. Altogether to finish the piece with my own unique interpretation and the origin of each element.

I did read many biographies of country music legends before I painted their portrait and I attended to many concerts through North America. My quest of autographs gave me satisfaction by a kind of approval. I consider I put the color “music” before my first brush stroke.

The Rolling Stones painting idea wasn’t only because of their country music influences or their country music songs but I have to mention I called my autoportrait Honkytonk woman. When I saw the video they made on 1st Covid wave, splitting the screen in 4, everyone in their respective house singing You can’t always get what you want, I just picture them that way (and of course, with an Andy Warhol touch) representing the effects of the coronavirus pandemic on the social impact sector, and kept the meaning full song title for the art piece in this pandemic time.

Locked at home, no place to go, no place to see; the winter scenery Winter Wind is what I see by the window behind my easel. Cold outside, cold inside with Covid on tv 24 hours a day.

I don’t know how I saw roses as the virus crown but I felt push to paint the virus in a vase. I shared it on Facebook that way: What I would call 2020

Yes the earth is reborn since the lockdown but these flowers are also dedicated to all the people who left their lives in the episode of the Covid.... which is unfortunately not finished. The petals, leaves and green blue at the bottom represent the tears... and I cried more than once while painting this painting. When I said I was painting the Covid, I was told I'm crazy, that no one would want to remember that..... But I did it and you offer it. I'll give you this bouquet. Whether you are grieving, sick or one of our angels guarding essential services, or need flowers to get through your confinement, they are yours. I offered people my sympathies, to tag someone who deserves this bouquet or put his name in comment and to contact me privately and to send them the original photo for their personal purpose (card, poster, print...) From all over the world, I have received several testimonies from people who have lost a loved one, others working day and night in essential services to bring food or defeat this pandemic. I cried and prayed with these people.

This painting made the cover of Steam Magazine South Texas Entertainment Art Music. They bought it. So I cried again letting it go. Then I painted another one, on the second wave, showing many viruses in the vase. People who stand together, the one apart fatally affected and the faded controverters… Tears are still represented and added gold leaves for all heroes on the front line.

The inspiration for these works leaves us with a bitter taste. We do not want to remember these difficult times but are now part of life and artistic contemporary current, colored by very strong emotions.

www.genegarand.com ggai@genegarand.com Facebook.com/Gene. 1-514-712-5909