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 La Maisonart Gallery and Studio of John Wiseman |
John Wiseman, visual artist
John Wiseman's artistic career spans over thirty years. As a youngster, John was inspired by the artwork of Canada's "Group of Seven" and John James Audubon. He began his career in his home town of Barrie, Ontario where he worked as a field biologist and illustrator for the Canadian Wildlife Service and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources. In 1975 John relocated to Percé, Québec, where he established his studio and gallery. His formative years were dedicated to perfecting drawing techniques using pencil and Pen & Ink. After experimenting with various colour mediums through the 70's, John became enchanted with watercolours. His finesse and mastery of this demanding medium is such that his works are recognised and sought after by collectors from around the world. He is also known for his large pastel paintings and ink monotypes.
Percé with its abundance of birds, whales, and infinite natural wonders, remains a constant source of inspiration for John. He has painted and studied many of the nearly 300 species of birds that occur here as well as many renowned landmarks and historic sites.
When visiting the region, feel welcome to stop by our gallery, La Maisonart. We have a wonderful selection of John's original watercolours on exhibit as well as other works on paper including dozens of fine art reproductions published by the Maisonart. You will also discover stunning sculptures in clay, wood, Gaspesian banded marble and agate by renowned artists, Suzanne Guité and Roland Nicolas. Unique lines of jewellery by Gaspesian artisans Jean-Luc Robitaille, Jocelyne Réhel and my daughter Félix Wiseman and I may also catch your fancy. And why not enjoy a relaxing stroll around our flower gardens while you are here!
Gallery Director, Lucie Lagueux.
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When I was eleven years old, a school friend invited me to see his bird egg collection. What I didn't know at the time, collecting bird eggs is a strictly forbidden activity; by law! But that eventful day, that stunning, jewel-like collection of bird eggs would change my life forever.
In bliss ignorance, my good friend and I naively set out to build our egg collections. What I also didn't know, was that my friend's collection had been inherited from a foregone time from persons incalculably more knowledgeable than ourselves. Our first day in the field which began before sunup and ended after sundown, was supposed to have netted us a multitude of bird eggs. Suffice to say and fortunately for the world of birds, that day's total harvest was one clutch of Starling eggs which we found completely by accident while climbing over a fence post on our way home. It was a discouraging day, but the door had been opened to that classic stubbornness and determination of an over-eager child. A quest began which has led me down a wondrous path where my childhood interests in art and the natural world would collide. Flora and fauna, with their endless curiosities and mysteries and the challenge to capture them in a work of art remains the focal point of my life. John Wiseman, 2002 |
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Although I am known as a wildlife artist, I am rather uncomfortable with this label. I find it too confining to properly represent what I really feel about my subjects and artwork. Nature provides me with a vehicle with which to explore artistic expression, but if truth be told, probably at least half of my artistic endeavour is occupied by landscape, architecture or other subjects. I like to be inspired by the moment and grasp the thrill of the chance occurrence, yet some paintings brew for years in the back of my mind. I am drawn to things that have a patina, a story to tell: a lichen covered stone, a dry, curled leaf, the iridescent back of a Wood duck, a sun-parched door, an encroaching storm front…
At a glance, people see the figurative aspect of my art and they often remark on its supposed photographic quality. However upon taking a closer look, one might discover the more abstract foundations upon which much of my work is based. To my way of thinking, even the most realistic of paintings are in a sense, total abstractions. Working for weeks or months on a painting to simply achieve a photo-realistic interpretation of an object holds little value for me. Indeed, that would put me to sleep! To convincingly portray the true feeling and depth of a subject the artist has to have some profound emotions about the thing. A sound understanding of techniques and tools and how to exploit them is a forgone conclusion. For an example of how abstract the whole procedure can be, I have occasionally used my thumb or finger prints to convincingly portray the texture of bark and wood grain. It's the artist's personal use of light, ambience, mood, composition and all the other "golden rules" that are used to convince the human eye that they are looking upon the "real thing". Of course, as far as my own work is concerned, the viewer is invited to see what he or she wants to see. It is perhaps ironic, but the more abstract my approach is, the more realism people see in it. Go figure! John Wiseman, 2002 |
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ATTRACTIONS AND SERVICES
ATTRACTIONS AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
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COMING ATTRACTIONS AND PROJECTS IN PROGRESS
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For information and reservations,
call (418) 782-2047
or .
The texts and photos on this page are the exclusive property of John Wiseman and La Maisonart. Any partial or total reproduction is strictly forbidden without the author's prior authorisation.
