Born in Pontorson (Manche), I now live near Rennes. Drawing has always felt like a natural calling for me. As a child, I expressed myself through drawing, attempting to capture my surroundings, first on a blackboard, and soon after using charcoal and India ink. Discovering color in 1990 marked a major turning point in my artistic journey. That same year, I enrolled at the Rennes School of Fine Arts, where I spent two years learning the fundamentals of painting under the guidance of Alain Aurégan (a Breton painter). In 1993, working at the Chantepie studio (Ille-et-Vilaine), I explored diverse compositions while gradually developing a more personal artistic approach. A self-taught artist at heart, I soon felt a need for freedom and chose to paint independently. My works emerge from my emotions, my memories, and the landscapes, both real and imagined, that I have discovered during my travels. My painting, figurative yet infused with the imaginary, reflects an instinctive, spontaneous emotional response to the landscapes around us. The paint, applied generously to the canvas, comes alive through an interplay of light and shadow, allowing my creativity to take center stage. Over time, my style has become slightly more deconstructed, while retaining the figurative foundation that gives my canvases their distinctive, personal identity.
"It is reality that resembles my paintings, not the other way around."
I paint primarily in my studio in Vern-sur-Seiche. While I do occasionally work outdoors, shifting light conditions strongly influence my color choices and disrupt my creative flow. The studio, by contrast, offers a space of freedom and focus, sheltered from the constraints of time and changing weather. My inspiration stems equally from seascapes and urban settings. These contrasting worlds nourish my artistic sensibility, allowing me to explore diverse dynamics of form and color. I paint instinctively, driven by emotion and the memory of the moment. Interpretation, creativity, and spontaneity are the guiding principles of my approach, giving rise to works where material and gesture serve, above all, to express an inner experience.
My technique
After exploring various painting techniques, including acrylics, pastels, and watercolors, I gradually found my balance with oil painting on canvas, which is now my preferred medium. My favorite subjects center on landscapes of the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel and the seaside, as well as urban scenes. Italy and New York also serve as sources of inspiration, thanks to their light, atmosphere, and unique energy.
My primary tool is the painting knife, a spatula I use much like a mason’s trowel. This instrument allows me to spread the medium, create flat areas of color, and layer paint to bring forth new nuances and depths. I use knives of various sizes and shapes to draw, map out perspectives, and structure forms. My technique is at once precise and spontaneous: each movement applies paint with intensity, modeling the surface as if sculpting a living material. Through the accumulation of layers, the relief asserts itself, lending the work its power and presence. This focus on density and texture transforms the canvas into an almost sculptural space, where light reveals the potency of both color and gesture.
Stephen Meslin
APIQ
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