Gilles Rainville illustration

  CHOICES As the dominating race, our species affects every aspect of the natural world we are part of. In consequence, some of the choices we make create chain reactions that have changed the world, sometimes positively, sometimes negatively. This series of pastel artworks explores some of these choices many people make daily in the hopes of inspiring thoughtful consideration and understanding of the domino effect our choices necessitate. HOW DO WE GET THERE? This first piece explores our choice of transportation. Choosing our vehicle influences the choice of where we live, how much we pollute, and how much freedom we have. Cars became a class symbol, and a desired item in the 1940s. Eighty years later, most of the population still regards them the same way. This piece is meant as a reflection of a choice that often seems automatic when we are growing up. This piece was started last summer (2019) in a smaller format without creating any thumbnails to explore the compositional posi...

Nature creates an indomitable cycle of life inevitably leading to death, and in turn helping to produce new life. The Earth sustains itself indefinitely because of this cycle. The Cycle series represents the beauty, power and infinite possibility of life, while simultaneously showing its fragility. It is a reminder that all life is a part of Earth's cycle. Cycle - Snow Leopard is the first piece.  For this piece , I chose to forgo the process of sketchin g studies and drawing rough copies. I researched some photos off the internet and started directly on the good copy. Death was the beginning . I wanted to represent its calmness , tranquility , and comfort. The sl eeping le opard photo seemed ideal .  To demonstrate the cycle, the plants, mountains, snow and rocks contribute to the drawing of the new leopard family. I decided on blue undertones for the dead leopard. I also took to colour outlines for a stylistic effect. I used soft paste...

A fun revisit of a challenging theme. Special thanks to the models, Emilie D., Erin K., and Sarah T., and the host and organizers, Peter Purdy and Rebecca Gilman. Check out the event at https://www.facebook.com/groups/854616347887771/ Enjoy the drawings. Portraits Two - 3 min Portraits Two - 20 min Portraits Two - 20 min

                Cortus (latin) - 1. breaking out (storm) . 2. coming into being, birth. 3. rising, originating. Oxford English Dictionary This illustration is the first in what I hope to be a series of illustrations exploring the cycle of life, the origin of our spirit and the human relationship with nature. I started this illustration as part of a challenge set out by the hosts of Drawing at the Rooster, Peter Purdy and Rebecca Gilman. The challenge was simple; produce artwork inspired by a drawing created during a Drawing at the Rooster evening. Here is the drawing that I chose.   My idea was to have animals coming to life directly from nature. The model was to represent nature. I started by drawing her on the left side of the page. Next, I researched animals that I thought represented this woman. The Canadian horse for strength and confidence. The red-tailed hawk for her free spirit, and the fox bec...