Gilles Rainville illustration

This is the first piece in the series where I included a human figure. I wanted to explore our role within nature. While we are part of the animal kingdom, because of how we have evolved and since we affect nature on a much grander scale than any other species, I believe our role is of much greater importance. Therefore, we have an equally greater responsibility towards it. This piece started with yet another abandoned idea. That of animals being reborn from a man of roots. To start, I researched some root textures, took out my how to draw human anatomy books, took a different point of view, and started drawing a new man of roots. I work by drawing gestural three-dimensional shapes first representing the basic form of the different parts of the body, then adding the detail over these shapes to complete a sketch of the composition before adding colour. I always keep perspective, three-dimensional form, and the dynamic rhythm of my lines in mind while I draw.   ...

"The concept of a  tree of life  is a widespread archetype  in the world's m ythologies , related to the concept of s acred tree  more generally,  and hence in religious  and p hilisophical  tradition." Wikipedia, 2017 You can find a myth or belief of a great tree serving as a symbol of the cycle of life everywhere: Yggdrasil in Norse mythology, the Persian myth of the Gaokerena world tree from ancient Iran, the acacia tree of Iusaaset from ancient Egypt, the Etz Chaim in Judaism, the Bodhi tree from the Buddhist tradition, the tree of life from Christian faith. The World on the Turtle's Back from the Iroquois tradition was created by planting bark from the tree of life.  I had started an ambitious drawing representing this idea eight years ago. At the time I was not ready to accomplish something of that magnitude. And so, it was started but never finished. Stored in the closet, moving from home to home but never thrown out....