Mathieu LeBrun poses proudly at his debut art exhibition in Cheticamp.
-by Rosie Aucoin-Grace
Some people are simply born with a knack at creativity, like musicians and dancers, when we say it’s in their blood – c’est dans l’sang. The same can be applied to various other artisans and a prime example of such a scenario, is Mathieu LeBrun with his talented works as an artist/painter.
I recently wrote about participating in “Paint Nights” with Mathieu at the helm, which took place at the Chéticamp Visitor Centre – Cape Breton Highlands National Park. These sessions are so inspirational, educational, and foremost fun! To see a blank canvas come to life by your own hands can be quite exciting and rewarding. His relaxed demeanor and patience combined with a relentless positive attitude make for a fine guide.
Born and raised in Chéticamp, Mathieu is the son of Marcel and Angela LeBrun. His grandfather Gilles Deveau is also a very fine self-taught artist, and it is impressive to see this talent being passed on.
On the evening of February 28th, at the Canton Culturel – Art Gallery in Chéticamp, many gathered for Mathieu’s first art exhibition. “We had a good turn out that night and I really appreciated everyone who took the time to come see my works, making this exhibit so special for me,” says Mathieu. “There was a meet and greet featuring wine, snacks and a chance to speak with me. As well, Joannie De Grasse Verreault who works for Le Conseil des arts de Chéticamp said a few words about my art. She was the person who first introduced me to this great art gallery.”
Artists styles can often be referred to as realism, impressionism, expressionism, and abstract art – which allows us to appreciate the diverse ways in which artists have expressed their visions and emotions throughout history.
We spoke about the paintings in the exhibition and Mathieu explained, “I displayed paintings I created as early as 2014, to February of this year. Basically, it felt like it was revealing the evolution of my art. Each piece has a unique meaning, a story of that time frame. For style, it can be described as a hybrid between various styles. I never only focus on just one fantasy element in my works. It’s a melange of, fantasy, scenery, silhouette, minimalist, simplistic combined with realism. With such a medley, you have some connected to others but there is not necessarily one over arcing style.”
Mathieu shared how it all started for him, “My history with painting is a simple one, I started out with drawings in school during classes to occupy my mind, as the teachers talked about things I never had any interest with. At the age of 12 years old I started drawing more detail drawings but still lacking depth and colour in them that I always imagined. So at age 14, I asked the one person in my life that I knew understood colour more than anyone else, my grandfather. For years, I always noticed my grandfather’s paintings all over his house and others alike. He was known to be an amazing painter, and the details were always so amazing!”
LeBrun continued, “My grandfather, who I looked up to as a great artist, used oil paints. I had never heard of it at the time, only being acquainted with acrylic, but both have a vastly different painting style. You see, with oil, you get so much more colour and details that acrylic can never accomplish. Oil paint is so much less forgiving, if you make a mistake, you must wait multiple days before you can attempt to fix it, which can be very frustrating to beginners and expert alike. After learning this fact, I admired him even more and for the first time, I wanted to learn oil painting despite it being so hard. For the next three years, my grandfather slowly showed me week after week, the techniques and shared how he became a painter. We went through the different steps you need to take: the difference between light and dark colours, the interaction of brush techniques and so much more.”
“I loved it! My work never matched up to his but why would it? It was the first time I ever painted in my life. Slowly something grew inside of me when I painted, something was missing, something unexplainable would wash over me and I did not like it. I did not know at the time, but now understand why I felt gray painting despite putting colour on my canvas. At the time, I was 17, and I did not grab my paintbrush as much, despite having a whole desk dedicated to it. I could not understand the reason why I just could not bring out the colours into a painting to my liking. But one day, it dawned on me, I had been doing landscape and realism for so long and thought why not branch out and do a fantasy landscape, something you would find in a video game or a book but not in real life. I tried and instantly it brought new life in my paintings. It brought colour where colour had never been before. I loved it so much, more than any other work I had ever accomplished. Finally, my two inspirations – my love of fantasy video games/movies and the style techniques that my grandfather showed me together as one. From there on, after this awakening, I developed my own unique style, and I knew I would never turn back. Of course, I will never forget my origins and how I started, because without those I would not be able to paint the material that I do today. I am glad that I was able to find my own creativity and the courage to try it. My styles now are fantasy landscape, abstract silhouettes, the occasional animal sprinkle around, and still some realism. I would not say that I have a specific style, more like a hybrid of multiple, as that is where I find where my best works shine. In recent years, I have dabbled in acrylic for one reason alone, I wanted to do what my grandfather could do for me, help others discover a new hobby. I did not want to limit myself with just oil paints. I wanted to bring multiple options to someone that may be scared to take that first step. For the past year, I have practiced and to be fair I am not that great with acrylic compared to my skills with oil, but I feel I can still share techniques and give lessons to people that want to learn,” says LeBrun.
We spoke of what art means for Mathieu, “Art is so important to me and for many others. It is a way to express oneself, an outlet of expression no matter the situation. When I pick up my paintbrush, my thoughts and feelings just melt away and I am living in the moment. It simply clears my mind of all negativities. If I have dark thoughts, I just need to see in person a beautiful mix of colours exploding in front of me and the creative juices start to flow. I just want to be able to share this with others,” expressed LeBrun.
“Overall, I am just thankful of everyone over the years and those recently helping me throughout my painting journey. From my grandfather, my parents, to people wanting to learn more through my teachings, those who support me and so forth. I am very grateful, and I thank you for believing in me,” concluded LeBrun.
For those who missed the opening of Mathieu’s exhibition, the good news is that his amazing works are on display until the end of April at Canton Cultural – École NDA, 15118 Cabot Trail in Chéticamp.
“I dream of painting and then I paint my dream.” – Vincent Van Gogh