Describe your style:
Dreams and fairy tales seen through a pop culture lens.
Tell us a bit about the piece and how you conceived it:
“Crowned” was done as part of a solo show called Cornu (which means “horned”), which had to do with myths and stories and how they relate to dreams and the subconscious.
What are your creative influences?
Art nouveau, Japanese prints and fashion illustration.
How does living in Toronto inspire your art?
I’m inspired by the mix of cultures and influences and the convergence of “high” and “low” art.
What’s the first picture you can remember drawing as a child?
My parents used to put up these giant sheets of blank paper on my bedroom walls for me to draw all over. I made these elaborate scenes with flying horses and rainbows and stuff.
What was your first job?
It was working at this really cheesy replica of Anne Hathaway’s cottage in Victoria, BC. I had to wear a peasant’s costume of questionable historical accuracy and explain how people lived back in Elizabethan England. In Canada.
What things have you seen recently that are going to inspire a piece of art?
I’m in West Africa right now, teaching art classes to Malian kids and I feel like just about everything I’ve seen since I got here is going to find its way into a painting.
What’s the most unusual canvas you’ve painted on?
I once did a set of paintings on old vinyl records.
Where’s the most unusual place you’ve exhibited your art?
I just finished a showing at the Fire Roasted Coffee Company roastery in London, Ontario. It was neat – people were roasting and packaging coffee beans under my art. It smelled great.
What is your favorite color?
Red.
What’s the best compliment and the most extreme reaction you’ve had to your art?
The best compliments are from people who say I inspire them in their own creative pursuits. The most extreme was from my sixth grade teacher, Madame Lavoie, who threw my binder against a wall because I was doodling in class. She was like the French immersion version of a Dickensian villain.
Could you share three unique things in your work space that inspire you?
One is that I have the whole space painted this robin’s egg blue color, which is very intense and energizing. Two is my inspiration board of postcards, magazine clippings, etc. Three is my cat, Eli. He likes to sit on my lap while I draw.
What art do you have on your walls?
A lot of screen printed concert posters. A lot of really cheesy stuff that I’ve found at second hand stores.
If you had to design yourself a tattoo what would it be and where?
Definitely a tiger – my favourite animal. Probably on my back.
What are your vices and guilty pleasures?
Carnival food: cotton candy, candy apples, and sno cones.
Any advice to other artists thinking about submitting artwork out there?
Don’t get discouraged by a few rejections – not everyone will love what you do.
If you had to change careers, what would be next?
I’d be a writer or a musician. Obviously I have a deep aversion to making money.
Are there any upcoming shows or projects you’d like to share?
Please check reneenault.com/blog for details.
