Colette Paul Painting Monkton VT
Art has always been a part of my life. My first art teacher was my grandmother. I recall art and creativity playing a large role in my family at a time when old fashioned traditions were passed on to the next generation, whether it was a quilt, a wall hanging, making a child’s toy, home decorating, painting, music, gardening. My second art teacher was my mother who further nurtured my artistic expressions through her examples of creativity. She could knit, weave, sew, draw, paint, build things and inspire us with her many talents. In my journey from the Eastern Townships to Vermont, art and music have played a major role in keeping a balance through many of life’s challenges. Art has been my refuge through the years. My formal education focused on administration and finance. That’s why I wanted to work at a university where I had access to art classes. I participated in the following: painting, writing and ecological perception, painting a living landscape, intermediate watercolor, the simplicity of watercolor, and what color is this? My current focus is on watercolors. I also enjoy painting with acrylics and oils. One of my inspirations is my home in Monkton. It is my living canvas, a continuing work in progress. A place where I find solace, a place where time slows down and mindfulness is possible. Possibilities here seem endless.
My series of “Petits paysages de campagne” (miniature rural landscapes) is inspired by my years growing up in the Eastern Townships and my place in Vermont and my love of the natural world. Colette’s paintings were featured at Art on Main in November 2004. Many of those paintings were inspired by moments in time, places and people, revisiting childhood memories. To learn more about Colette, visit her Web site at www.colettepaul.com	Summer Time
Down the Road a Ways and to the Left Mural commissioned for Artists’ Alley at Art on Main