ANDRE DESJARDINS
Visual Emotionism

The art of Desjardins, the founder of “Visual Emotionism,” reaches out to touch the soul as melds the old and the new, the Da Vinci with the Jackson Pollock. The fact that Desjardins chooses to create directly on the canvas serves to intensify the emotions instilled in each work as it tells its story with eloquence and passion and, through a closely guarded proprietary technique, crackling is induced to emphasize the fragility of life and add the feel of the old masters to each creation.

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ORIGINAL PAINTINGS (Oil and pigment on Canvas)

AMITIE ETERNELLE
(Eternal Friendship)
28" x 30"

Even as she dreams, she is determined not to allow these many months of separation to erode the memory of the love that was so long in coming and the eternal friendship that is hers with every heartbeat.

AUM (Om)
59" x 39"

In reverent meditation, the sacred syllable “Aum” mindfully repeated, a state of peace and a oneness with the universe has been achieved.

* "Aum" is an alternate spelling of "Om"

BLUE SEASON
58" x 39"

DEUX VIOX (Soft Voice)
45" x 42"

Entranced by loves soft voice, its soothing tone so rich with feeling, her thoughts are of him excluding all others.

DEUX MONDES
36" x 48"

As the two worlds of time and space come together, we find that they compliment and amplify one another.

EARTH
44" x 32"

She is the mother of all we know, for without the earth we would not exist; she is, my definition, our world.

ENFIN TU ES LA
53" x 33"

Seeing you, touching you, thinking of you; to me is passion found and love realized at last.

FIRE
44" x 32"

Deep within there burns a passion, a desire, a fire that only love can quench.

FRANCOIS STAY
50" x 45"

Though hidden by the seeming peacefulness of his slumber, thoughts of François’ discontent are fresh upon my mind and I find myself in repeated whisper “François stay,” for he has become a vital part of me.

I'M SHAWN
52" x 39"

INTOUCHABLE (Untouchable)
31" x 28"

Deep in dreamless sleep, she is untouchable and unaffected by the chaos of thought.

JE L'AIMAIS (I Loved)
29" x 34"

I remember, as-if yesterday, that once I loved you with such great passion and tenderness, never dreaming that such a memory would become but a souvenir of the past.

JE ME RAPPEL
40" x 37"

As I wait in reverent silence, hand on hand, I remember how it once was and wonder how it will be.

JE SAIS QUE TU ES AVEC MOI (I Know That You Are With Me)
42" x 60"

When I close my eyes, I know that you are with me, for I can sense your presence, I can hear the gentleness of your voice and feel your touch; no matter our separation in time or distance, your love is a part of my very being.

LE FILLE DE STANSTEAD (The Girl of Stanstead)
60" x 42"

Even as she slumbers, the girl of Stanstead exudes a special confidence and determination, for she is self-assured and comfortable with who she is.

LE PREMIER JOUR
44" x 32"

Treat each new day as-if it were the first day, a special day, and that is what it will be.

LEO
18" x 24"

LOOK AT ME I'M THE SAME
56" x 41"

Though it has been many years since our first chance meeting, look at me, I’m the same, for my love has not diminished and it never will.

LUMIERE DE MINUIT
46" x 16"

There is a special peace, a glow of expectation that is the essence of the midnight lights, a reflection of that brief moment between today and yesterday.

MILLE MOTS
58" x 40"

Eyes downcast, a sigh just barely audible, a thousand words eloquently spoken by gesture and a single sound.

MOMENT PARFAIT
50" x 38"

Mesmerized by dreams of loving you, transfixed by thoughts of you and I forever, I am at peace, it is a perfect moment.

MORNING SHADE
56" x 39"

At the moment of morning shade, she is at peace with dreams of love, of sweet embrace, and of pleasures beyond imagination.

NE RIEN FAIRE (Do Nothing)
50" x 34"

PAUSE #4
48" x 36"

Amid the chaos that is life, it is important that we take time to pause and reflect, to think about what has been done and the direction we should take.

PIERRE IS COMING BACK
46" x 43"

From a journey, long and far, Pierre is coming back, changed forever by what he has seen, determined, more than ever, to make a difference.

POINT DE RECONTRE
48" x 36"

Though the consequences of not meeting may never be known with certainty, the future will most certainly be affected.

PRENDRE LE TEMPS I (Taking Time I)
33" x 48"

To be at peace with oneself means taking time to look within at hopes and dreams, unrestricted by the troubles of the world, untainted by the perceptions of others.

PRENDS MOI (Take Me)
32" x 44"

Sweet dreams of better times and greener pastures, take me to your special place of peace and joyous contentment if only for this single night.

SANS TITRE
46" x 39"

Wrapped in self-embrace, slumber’s willing hostage dreams of a brighter tomorrow while letting go of yesterday.

SOMETIMES I FEEL ETERNAL
55" x 36"

Images of lives once lived, so vivid that they must be from past reality, pervade my dreams, giving hope that when this life’s flame no longer burns, there will be another in its stead, and so, sometimes I feel eternal.

STRANGE DAY
46" x 39"

As I toss and turn in restless slumber, I sense that it will be a strange day, ‘though it has not yet begun.

VIENS DANS MON MONDE (Come Into My World)
55" x 62"

Feel the peace, that special oneness with all things; come into my world, for it is your world as well.

Andre Desjardins - BIO               (back to top)

"With my brush, for a brief moment of a painting, I celebrate the right to live, to love, to speak, to make love...”
— André Desjardins

The essence of life emerges with every stroke of Desjardins’ brush, every texture and nuance, transforming the empty canvas into a statement about the mysteries of life, love and our universe itself. His thoughts are made real and hidden faces break free from the chaos of life, giving an almost serene and tranquil feeling, while muted and subtle colors coax one into a dreamlike state of viewing the mysteries that Desjardins has revealed.

Born in the small Canadian town of Hauterive, Quebec, Canada, on the north shore of the Saint Lawrence River on March 2, 1964, Desjardins earned his bachelor’s degree in Art from the University of Quebec in Montreal and owned a successful marketing firm before making the decision to pursue the freedom of painting full-time.

André’s passion for life and the stories told in the faces of humanity developed early and have continued to evolve. Today he devotes his time, energy, and passion to translating emotions into images of timeless beauty and humanity as the founder of “Visual Emotionism.”

André’s passion turned to painting early this century with the encouragement of friends like Pierre Bernard who urged him “to get out of the frame.” Such advice was just the right thing to say to a man who freely admits that “I love to be challenged.” Desjardins has embraced the freedom that pigment and canvas provide, to develop his “Visual Emotionism” style (simultaneously expressionist and humanist) that fuses the figurative with the abstract and tells the stories of those he has encountered.

Although Desjardins credits the Spanish painter Antoni Tàpies with having the greatest influence on his artistic style (primarily because of Tàpies devotion to making the insignificant significant and his evolution from surrealist to abstract impressionist), it was the death of his father when he was only twelve years old that was the most profound influence on his life and his art, for it has motivated André “to make him live again in my own accomplishments.”

The art of Desjardins, the founder of “Visual Emotionism,” reaches out to touch the soul as it awaits the emotional reaction of the viewer for its completion. Like the conductor of a great symphony, Desjardins uses his hands to add both emphasis and nuance to his works, for each is a representation of humanity energized by the emotions of the artist himself.

As Desjardins’ paintings continue to evolve, the melding of the old and the new, the Da Vinci with the Jackson Pollock, becomes more and more apparent. The fact that Desjardins chooses to create directly on the canvas serves to intensify the emotions instilled in each work as it tells its story with eloquence and passion and, through a closely guarded proprietary technique, crackling is induced to emphasize the fragility of life and add the feel of the old masters to each creation.

“Art is important because it is a universal and timeless language… it makes me feel immortal… to leave something that will last. It’s my way to communicate that kind of emotion.”

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"Avec mon pinceau, l’espace d’un tableau, je célèbre le droit de vivre, d’aimer, de parler, de faire l’amour...”
— André Desjardins

L'essence de la vie émane de chacun des coups de pinceau de Desjardins. Par ses textures et la fragilité de ses formes, il amène le spectateur à une réflexion face aux mystères de la vie, de l'amour et du monde dans lequel nous vivons. Tantôt figuratifs, tantôt plus abstraits, ses personnages émergent du canevas et semblent se libérer du chaos de la vie, dégageant ainsi un puissant sentiment de sérénité. La palette de couleurs de Desjardins contribue à nourrir le mystère, comme si nous touchions à nos origines, à la naissance de la vie.

Desjardins est né le 2 mars 1964 dans la petite ville canadienne de Hauterive, au Québec. Il possède un baccalauréat en Design graphique de l'Université du Québec à Montréal. Avant de prendre la décision de se consacrer à plein temps à la peinture, il a connu beaucoup de succès au sein d’une entreprise de communication dont il était le propriétaire.

Depuis toujours, André est passionné par la vie, par l’histoire de chaque personne qu’il rencontre et dont il veut connaître les rêves, les combats, les désillusions. Cette quête l’a amené à se poser beaucoup de questions face à l’humanité. Aujourd’hui, dans ses peintures, il se consacre à traduire les émotions humaines à travers des images intemporelles et vivantes. Il est le fondateur du mouvement “Visual Emotionism”.

La passion humaniste d’André s’est transformée en peinture au tournant des années 2000. Dès le début, son ami Pierre Bernard l’a poussé à “sortir du cadre”. Il n’en fallait pas plus pour qu’André explore la profondeur et développe une technique unique qui marie le pigment et l’huile sur le canevas. Cette façon de faire lui a permis d’installer une profondeur envoûtante dans ses tableaux. C’est alors qu’est né le “Visual Emotionism”, (représentation visuelle d’une émotion) un alliage de figuratif et d’abstrait traduisant l’état intérieur du sujet.

Bien que Desjardins pointe le peintre espagnol Antoni Tàpies comme étant celui l’ayant le plus inspiré (principalement à cause de sa volonté de donner une signification à l’insignifiant et pour son évolution du surréalisme vers l'impressionniste abstrait), c'est la mort de son père, alors qu’il n’avait que douze ans, qui a eu la plus grande influence sur sa vie et sur son art. Ce drame est devenu une motivation pour André, le poussant à toujours vouloir se surpasser “pour faire revivre mon père à travers mes propres accomplissements.“

À travers ses peintures, Desjardins cherche à toucher l’âme, autant celle du sujet dans sa toile que celle du spectateur qui la contemple. Peignant souvent directement avec ses mains sur le canevas, il sculpte son sujet, à la recherche d’une émotion. Un peu comme le ferait un chef d’orchestre, il utilise ses mains, son corps et toute son énergie pour faire vivre son œuvre en lui insufflant autant de puissance que de subtilité.

Plus l’œuvre de Desjardins évolue, plus l’influence de la peinture de la renaissance et de l’art contemporain se fait sentir, une rencontre de Da Vinci et de Jackson Pollock. Le fait que Desjardins crée directement sur la toile permet d’intensifier la spontanéité que requiert l’interprétation d’une émotion. Il ajoute également à la fragilité de ses sujets en craquelant sa toile, procédé qu’il a développé et garde secret et qui contribue à donner l’ambiance des vieux maîtres.

“L’art est important parce que c’est un langage universel et intemporel… Mon travail me fait sentir immortel, j’ai le sentiment de laisser quelque chose qui va me survivre au-delà de la mort.”

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Chronology

Andre Desjardins was born in Hauterive, Quebec, Canada, on the North Shore of the St-Laurent River on March 2, 1964.

Desjardins holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Art from the University of Quebec in Montreal.

Owning a successful marketing firm with eighty-five employees created a void that painting was destined to fill, for painting affords true freedom to express and its content or subject matter is not dictated by others.

The experience of having created hundreds of art designs for plays and movies and thousands of CD covers has provided a firm foundation for the evolution of Andre’s work and has helped to motivate him to “get out of the frame.”

Today Andre devotes his time, energy, and passion to painting, to translating emotions into images of timeless beauty and humanity as the founder of “Visual Emotionism.”

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“The artwork of Desjardins rejects all pretense and convention so that the experience is one of pure emotion. His works convey depth, both emotional and visual, and classify him as an artist who will undoubtedly leave his mark.”

“La peinture de Desjardins réfute toutes formes d’artifices et de conventions pour laisser toute la place à l’émotion. Ses œuvres témoignent d’une grande maîtrise de la profondeur, autant picturale qu’humaine et le classent parmi les artistes qui marqueront sans doute leur époque…”

— Hélène Bélanger-Martin,
international film director, lecturer and journalist for Elle Québec magazine

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“Desjardins’ artworks are a continuous and endless exploration of the primitive dilemmas of the Freudian id through intense investigations of color and dimension. Genius, undoubtedly.”

“À travers ses oeuvres, Desjardins nous entraîne dans une exploration continue et sans fin des dilemmes primitifs de l'identification freudienne et ce, par un travail intense de la couleur et de la dimension. Du génie, assurément.”

— Marcel Martin M.D., F.R.C.S.,
Professor of Surgery, University of Sherbrooke, Canada