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Summer 2008
PICARD: Boldly Going Where Few Artists
Have Gone Before
by Jonelle DeGier
Internationally acclaimed Vancouver artist James Picard
is an artist with unlimited potential, unlimited energy and the subject
of a new documentary film (the second to be filmed in the last ten years)
simply entitled Picard.
Director Karen Bedard, who has been working on Hollywood blockbusters
for more than two decades, including such movies as “Brokeback Mountain”
starring the late Heath Ledger, is taking the prolific artist to the big
screen with insights that are sure to create a buzz in the art world.
James Picard has risen to iconic status the hard way, years of struggle
and hard work. At one point in his career he was living in his car and
eating Ketchup soup to sustain himself while continuing to work hard at
his craft. Born just outside Toronto, Ontario in the rural community of
Burlington, Picard spent most of his youth creating and teaching himself
to paint in what he calls, “not the best creative environment”.
He eventually ended up at Sheridan Art College and the Ontario College
of Art before he went on to apprentice with some of the top names in the
world of art. A top award at the New York International Art Competition
in the late 1980’s started what is now a resume of more than twelve
pages with over one hundred exhibitions and accolades and awards from
around the globe.
Picard is not only an accomplished painter and sculptor, he is also an
extraordinary teacher as well and has taught classes to all ages and all
levels across North America along with sponsoring a wide range of charities
and devoting time to various children’s hospitals and underprivileged
youth organizations. Picard has also recently started working with the
Canadian Cancer Society and the camp GoodTimes Cancer Camp and is running
painting workshops in the summer for teens with cancer.
Picard, who is a single father with two children is a workhorse, to say
the least, his paintings line his studio walls. His total creative output
to date runs into the high thousands, and he rarely has less than 10 pieces
on the go at the same time.
His recent “Cocktail Series” of watercolour paintings is already
pushing 900 and on a good day he can put out 6 or 7 paintings, something
extremely rare in the world of art. Picard is not only prolific however;
he is a master in many mediums and styles. He is just as comfortable working
on a massive realistic classical style painting as he is with creating
a small abstract watercolour. This tends to baffle the galleries, of which
Picard has had many a disagreement, but this has not deterred the patrons.
Picard’s work is in collections around the world and has been beckoned
by some of both movie and music industry’s elite. His fans range
from Bono to Blondie and he has a cast of both Hollywood stars and directors
on his speed dial. Picard is definitely a rising star in the art world
and one of Canada’s soon to be not-so-hidden treasures.
For more information on James Picard or the upcoming Picard documentary
film, go to www.jamespicard.com