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Workshops

René always enjoys showing the technique by which he takes photos or drawings of real landscapes and uses them to create “abstract” landscapes by a simple or complex transformation of the original.  He thereby recreates his own visual universe.  His workshops may be offered in schools (see below), in the community or even in the workplace (for example, in staff retreats as part of brain storming sessions as a form of creativity in the workplace). 

Find out more about the method, the context, possible dates and fees by contacting him  at renexrivard@gmail.com

Workshops offered in schools

Vision'Art

René was invited to Vision’Art at its fourth festival of visual arts in the school environment.  This took place in Aurora, ON, at the École secondaire Renaissance from November 13 to 16 2013.  It was organised by Robert-Guy Despatie, Véronique Lacaille and Mélanie Gauthier.

Translating the landscape

This workshop was offered to two groups of 8 to 16 high school students, each participating in two two-hour sessions.  Materials were provided by the festival.

This involved demonstrating specifically the artist’s technique in composition and colour based on photographs or other images of landscapes.  To quote the artist: « The 'abstract landscapes' in acrylic on canvas are all created based on photographs and sketches of real landscapes and are transformed by formal calculations under the watchful eye of the artist and employing general principles of composition ( framing, balance, force lines, etc.)»

Saint-Charles-Garnier de Whitby School

On December 2nd, René was invited by Danielle Broomfield, art teacher at the École Saint-Charles-Garnier in Whitby (ON) to offer a one-day workshop (from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) to a group of 16 art students.

Given the limited amount of time, the students had to take in the artist’s teachings in a very short time and continue their work alone afterwards.  The teacher later sent photographs of the completed works of some of the students (See below) demonstrating the teachings of the artist and the freedom of each to create his/her own esthetic vision based on shared principles.

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