THE GRACE OF OUR GIFTS 
"We honor Life when we recognize our particular gifts and use them in our lives. The breadth of the platform onto which we perform is irrelevant. Whether we care for a flower with love and earnestness or inspire millions with our words, it is the heart and integrity with which we accomplish the task that pays homage to God."
[Annie Paquette: A Splendid Mess - Winter 2023-2024]
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​@ Annie Paquette: A Splendid Mess

Creative Periods

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​Egyptology Series
1987-1988
[paintings and shadowboxes]

Creativity was always at the center of my life. But I began my studies in Health and Natural Sciences where the certainty of being in the wrong place ultimately became unequivocal. I eventually landed in an Interior Design program but my unease stirred within myself once more. My creativity was being stifled — I am a Libra and a Dragon… I had to set myself free. And so, I decided I would become "a professional artist".

My exhibiting-artist's journey began a year later with the Egyptology series. The images for the paintings were "lifted" from the annals of Egyptian funerary art history such as  a mural in the tomb of Ramses IV at Thebes, a limestone relief in the tomb of Ti at Saqqara, and a fresco in the tomb of Haremhab at Thebes.

The series consisted of intimate shadow-boxes inside which I created colourful landscapes (see gallery), and acrylics on canvas. Many of the paintings were large-scale: The Musicians (detail above) is nearly seven feet wide.

East-West Discourse Series
1989-1993
[photorealistic drawings]

I soon left my paintbrushes and went on to develop my own graphite-to-paper drawing technique. I would draw the contour of my subject, create a stencil and fastened it onto my surface. Then, I would draw by applying layer upon layer of graphite powders I obtained from grinding pencil leads of varying hardness. The effect of contour-less figures hovering over a pristine white background was frankly remarkable. The pieces from this series honored the traditional canons of beauty and were highly seductive in their rendering. The underlying socio-political and theoretical content offered endless possibilities of meaning and interpretation.

 It is those life-size photorealistic drawings that brought attention to my work. In 1990, I was awarded the title of Artist Of The Year by a leading corporate art sponsor, which yielded a three-year touring solo exhibition.

It was a prolific time until health-related life-changing events prompted me to put this journey on a re-evaluation hold. Something had changed (I had changed) and my art no longer reflected who I was.

Thus, in 1993, I stopped producing art per se and made the following statement:

"When I start producing art again, it will be inspired, flowing, from the heart, without thinking, and in colours."
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   Southwestern Series
2007-2009
[pastel paintings]

BREATHE….............DON'T THINK… CREATE…......IN COLOURS

These are the words that danced in my head the day I came back to my art. They also appeared as the heading of this new series' pamphlet.

For fourteen years I had shunned the art world and traded it for the entrepreneur's arena. And I did it full throttle: Mexico imports, greeting card collections creation and international distribution, television and radio art direction, yoga products developer, etc.  And although I was creatively successful, it was not the case financially. When you are not doing what you are meant to do....

In 2008, I was awarded a US residency visa for "Person Of Extraordinary Ability" (whoo-oo!) and moved to Sedona, Arizona.

In the fold of this powerful nature — its red earth and natural cathedrals — the clash I had felt years before between my artistic expression and my innerscape simply disappeared.

There, my heart expanded and my energies flowed. Inspired, I started drawing in colours, without thinking.

These are the images that emerged.
RETROSPECTIVE CATALOGUE
In 2006, a full-colour 76-page retrospective catalogue was produced. It features two articles (one French, one English)  from respected art historians/critics. Click below to download the pdf format (1.5MB).
the_art_annie_paquette.pdf
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