ART
Marti Leroux
Imbuing a unique amalgamation of abstract and figurative qualities, Quebec artist Martine Leroux (otherwise known as Marti) creates enchanting paintings that are acknowledged as “Serenity Art”, which depict songbirds, perched in fantastical and psychedelic surroundings. Her ethereal works embody an otherworldly voyage that travels amongst the heavens and earth; a narrative which is distinguished through her individual aesthetic of stylized settings, visually awakening color palettes, and celestial lighting – elements that present Marti’s arts with a wondrous zeitgeist.
A passionate ornithological attention to detail is given to her works, whether it be chickadees or finches, these birds transpire as Marti’s signature subjects throughout her dreamy paintings. Golden haloes frequently surround the small birds that present her works with an obscure, somewhat out-of-focus essence. Despite the backgrounds within Marti’s paintings evoke a sense of abstractness, they, in fact, represent the beauty and shapes of blossoms or boughs on which the songbirds are situated.
Applying an infusion of shapely and vibrant layers translate as the initial abstract approach to her practice, a technique that enjoys a freeing spirit and marks the beginning of her creative process, designed using oils and painting them onto canvases. The songbirds are then incorporated, which presents an alternative challenge albeit, when the final outcome is completed, it is the artist’s intent for the painting to address its message of love, hope, and serenity.
Proudly acknowledging herself as a self-taught artist, as a child Marti would spend the majority of her time drawing, coloring and searching through copious volumes of art books of the influential works of Picasso, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Toulouse Lautrec, amongst others. With her father and sister additionally being artists, a hereditary creativeness is naturally injected into Marti’s veins and as she matured, she discovered other mediums, which included pastels, colored pencils, mixed media, and sculpture.
Seeing painting as a form of meditation, Marti’s “Serenity Art” aspires to enrich an individuals’ well-being by generating a harmonious vivacity for their living spaces.
words by Katie Farley
