Flip Flops, acrylic on gallery canvas, 30″ x 40″.

Tranquil Realities

By Deena Dolan

Using a palette of rich acrylic colours, Paul Mondoux creates realistic portraits and tranquil scenes that radiate serenity, calm and depth.

Hard to believe, but Paul Mondoux only began painting just 14 short years ago. Oh, he had artistic talent— in abundance—but it was directed in a different slant. Growing up, he had a meticulous eye for detail and could produce accurate sketches of just about anything, simply using pencil on paper. “The only thing I can remember from being a kid and art is that I was already gifted with the talent for drawing and got a lot of compliments from friends and family.” That support and encouragement went far when it came time to plan for his future career.

“My interest in pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree was initially a design direction. I also studied becoming an optometrist and the plan was to get that degree, open a clinic and sell my eyeglass designs in an adjoining store. It was a great plan until I found out how much math and science are involved to get a degree as an optometrist (too much), dropped out, and went with a BFA in graphic design instead.”

Having earned his BFA from Concordia University in Montreal—his hometown—Paul pursued a lucrative career as an art director and then as a freelance illustrator in the challenging and competitive world of global advertising. To succeed in graphic design, one needs to excel in visual communication— understanding how line, shape, colour and composition can generate emotion, and how to intentionally communicate ideas and information to a specific target audience. It’s a strategic process that focuses on creative ability. Combining technical skill with intuitive creativity, Paul specialized in creating digital storyboards for clients. Using Adobe Photoshop and other professional tools, he developed visual representations that helped communicate advertising concepts clearly and effectively.

Hung out to dry, acrylic on gallery canvas, 15″x 30″.

Path to peace, acrylic on gallery canvas, 24″x 30″. Reference photograph by Pat Gillies Photography, used with permission.

Although rewarding, Paul’s design career was also incredibly demanding, particularly of his time. In 2012, he embraced a major change when he accompanied his wife Mel to London, England for an entire year. While Mel was in London professionally, Paul, then semi-retired, was free to immerse himself in the city’s vibrant arts scene. Drawn to the countless museums and galleries, he became fascinated with the idea of painting for himself. “I’ve got some time on my hands, why don’t I get some canvas and some paints and see what happens?” he thought. He accepted the challenge and began a new artistic journey—one he hasn’t looked back from since.

Upon returning from England, Paul brought a fair collection of work back and he and Mel relocated from Oakville to Southampton. Reflecting on those early works, Paul smiles, “Some were not so good, but I did bring a large number of successful paintings back home.” Certainly, his years of working in design played a role but, as a self-taught artist, Paul’s solid, natural instincts resulted in pieces that were immediately well received. Commissions rolled in.

“I love the challenge of realism. I’d always been able to draw but had never painted. When you’re doing realism, drawing is key.” As an art movement, Realism originated around the 1840s in France. Using truth and accuracy, this new style of painting offered a spirit of rebellion that replaced the Romantic era by presenting scenes of typical, contemporary people and situations.

The renowned portrait painter John Singer Sargent has long been an artist of influence to Paul. Sargent’s best portraits reveal the individuality of his subjects and Paul’s portraits also display similar sparks of personality. Once again, viewers see beyond the canvas and often relate on an emotional level. An image will be viewed differently and hold multiple meanings by any number of viewers. “As I paint, my work unfolds into a story.” The French realistic genre painter William Adolphe Bouguereau, who created modern interpretations of classical subjects with an almost photo-realistic style, is another inspiration for Paul.

Clockwise from left: Stormy weather, acrylic on gallery canvas, 30″ x 24″. Reference photograph by Jennifer Leighton, used with permission; A blue winged butterfly, acrylic on gallery canvas, 30″ x 40″; Sitting, acrylic on gallery canvas, 24″ x 30″.

Paul’s subject matter is beautifully varied and though each painting presents a distinct and fundamentally different viewpoint, his individual style shines through. Living near the Lake Huron shore and the iconic Chantry Island Lighthouse, water and sunsets are favourite themes. Again, Paul embraces the challenge, “How do I make water look like water?” In his portraiture works, his interesting use of transparent layers adds luminosity and subtle colour shifts, resulting in authentic threedimensional forms.

Using his imagination alongside his expert abilities in Photoshop, Paul will often create a setting on his computer that he will then transcribe on canvas. He will carefully design a layout, adding individual components of interest and importance necessary to tell the story. “One of the goals with my painting is to capture nostalgic moments—moments that evoke a memory or a moment in a person’s life when they felt joy and peace. I want people to put something on their wall that reminds them of something they love. This is more how I choose my subject matter and that’s what I hear from clients most often when they purchase my paintings… ‘it reminds me of when…’” Therefore, the recurring theme filtering throughout Paul’s pieces is one of tranquility touched with mystery. Creating a feeling free of anxiety is critically important to Paul. “In these times, everybody needs a feeling of calm.”

Paul received the Ellen Park Award for Excellence in Portraiture and the People’s Choice Award at Feast for the Eyes hosted by the Southampton Art Gallery. His work is also in the Bruce County Collection and Millpond Gallery in Cargill, as well as in the homes of many collectors. If you have a favourite something that you would love to have immortalized, Paul welcomes commissions. He is delightfully approachable. E

paulmondoux.com