MYLENE DE GAGNE

Born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Live and create in Levis, Quebec, Canada

​​

BIOGRAPHY

​

Creating has always been a vital necessity for her. As far back as she can remember – even beyond, according to her mother—she has always drawn so much that she had to cover the walls with paper bags to avoid tracing her creative impulses! 

Over the years, she has explored many forms of artistic expression: oil, watercolor, pastel, acrylic, alcohol ink, ceramic on tower, stained glass, collage, photography, jewelry creation, interior decoration, dance, music... Art in all its forms has always inhabited her. 

Convinced that creation should be central to her life, she studied graphic design, a field in which she worked full-time for 34 years.

It was in the early 2000s that she made her first acrylic paintings, first to decorate her interior and that of her relatives. But it was in 2014, during a visit to the ‘‘Nuit des Galeries’’ in Quebec City, that the trigger came and she began to develop her own pictorial language, abstract expressionist—Action painting, where acrylic and glass meet, sometimes with a touch of pop art. Since 2023, she has dedicated herself entirely to painting and music, in an approach of expression without constraints and total freedom of creation.

​

ARTISTIC APPROACH

Creating, for me, is to breathe light, cause positive emotions and offer a moment of beauty in this world. I hope to create vibrant works, full of colors, texture and movement, which reflect the energy, passion and emotions that music brings me and that musicians live and express through their art.  

​

What distinguishes me: the integration of pieces of stained glass in my works, a signature which brings a unique dimension, texture and an interaction with light.

Art in all its forms has always fascinated and stimulated me. My inspiration comes from nature and everything around me—shadows, reflections, clouds, water, stones, animals... Music is at the heart of my creative process; it’s impossible for me to paint without it. It guides my gestures and imbues my works with its emotions and energy. In 2019, after several years of developing my style, I felt the need to refine my compositions. As I tried to introduce more space/light into my paintings, silhouettes began to emerge: first animals, then musicians. As a musician and jazz singer myself, this subject naturally came up.  

My artistic exploration focuses on contrasts, colors, texture and movement. I always work flat, with acrylic paint, freely and instinctively in layers superimposed with spatulas and silicone tools. Finally, I add movement by letting the paint flow directly from the bottle, with fluid gestures.

Artists who inspire me include Vincent Van Gogh, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter, Joan Mitchell, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Corno, Lori Mirabelli, Annabelle Marquis and Mélanie Simard.