FRUIT OF YOUR LABOR

Dear friends, today I am writing about a couple of recent works of art that I did entitled “Fruit of Your Labor”. I am rarely one to paint fruit, but these came to mind one day and I rather enjoyed painting them. While on the surface they are very cheery and pretty works of art, they mean a lot more than fruit. It is a little bit odd but these cute works of art with a rather mundane subject matter, if you could call it that, came out of a moment of frustration.

I probably don’t have to explain how challenging it can be to make a living as an artist. It often costs too much time and money to be a hobby and it often doesn’t make enough money to be a career, so what is it? Things became easier when I moved to Montreal where I started exhibiting my work internationally and selling on a regular basis. Then, after nearly ten years in Montreal, I moved back to New Brunswick…I had a long pause from art to get familiar with family life with children and a new environment. When I started producing artwork again and looking at galleries, I was quickly faced with a harsh reminder of how hard it is in New Brunswick to make a living as an artist, especially if you are not painting boats and flowers! While I live here in N.B., I am still for the most part exhibiting outside of New Brunswick/Canada, mainly in Los Angeles.

When we are frustrated, we (artists) often use our art as a therapy and sometimes we paint something dark to get it out of our system. This time, in my moment of frustration I decided to paint something bright and hopeful. These two paintings represent the artist’s hope to see the fruit of his or her labor one day. Of course, like any work of art, they can mean whatever you want them to mean, but this is what was in my heart while producing them. While things are getting better as I keep producing and am selling more, these works of art serve as a reminder that my work is not in vain. I hope you enjoy these pieces too and I hope that you all see the fruit of your labor sooner than later if you haven’t yet!

Fruit of Your Labor (Cherries)
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas & Canvas Panel
11" x 14"
2023

Fruit of Your Labor (Strawberry)
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas & Canvas Panel
11" x 14"
2023

© 2023 Pascal Leo Cormier. All Rights Reserved.

NON FUNGIBLE HERESY

What the heck is am NFT?! The NFT craze slowly started in 2014 and for those who do not know what an NFT (Non Fungible token) is, it's a little bit hard to explain but essentially they are digital images that one can buy. They have a digital encryption in them that makes them traceable and can be made to have limited numbers. You can read a brief history of NFTs HERE. NFTs really became popular when Justin Bieber purchased one entitled "Bored Ape" for $1.3 Million in 2022 (it is now down to $60,000 in value). The art world is very strange and often confusing. Some people really got into NFTs while some of us did not. For me, I never got into it and I don’t quite get it. I like physical works of art that you put on your wall, but that’s just me! Whether you like NFTs or not, one of the problems with them is that it opened yet another big door for scammers. Countless artists, including myself, are being harassed weekly by scammers wanting NFTs of our artwork and it is getting overwhelming (you have to pay to have NFTs, that’s where they try to scam you).

In a protest to the entire world of NFTs, I created this piece, which features the Bored Ape that Justin Bieber purchased, in a frame on a wall, as the rest of us are simply trying to sell our real paintings to real people to hang on real walls. I hope you enjoy my piece!

www.pascalleocormier.com

© 2023 Pascal Leo Cormier. All Rights Reserved.

Crazy...

Today I am sharing a couple of paintings that deal with mental illness, something that is more prevalent than many people think. In fact I myself never thought of what I was going through as “mental illness” for a very long time, and viewing it in that light was instrumental for me in dealing with those issues in my own life. These paintings may be more or less simple on the surface but there is more than meets the eye. In one way they deal with being strong and pursuing the desire to push through the chaos, in another way they deal with almost a denial that it's even there. Sometimes a “denial” of a mental illness helps you, in other times it causes a lot more harm than good.

When speaking about "denying" it is important to distinguish between denying that the illness exists and denying that the symptoms control us. The first is bad, the latter is very important to master. I personally have dealt with crippling panic disorder and chronic depression for most of my life. Sometimes denying these is a strength that allows you not to be affected by it, sometimes it is a weakness that stops you from facing them and dealing with them. Painting is certainly a great, therapeutic way to deal with them for me.

This first painting deals with my personal struggles with mental illness. The title is “I’m Not Confused, You’re Confused”. It deals with both being stuck in chaos, seeking out of the chaos and finding your way out of the chaos. Being aware of the so called “chaos” (the mental illness) is the first step to seeking a way out or a way to deal with it. Trying to find the cause of the illness and the things that trigger it is another issue. Knowing the difference between when your mind is simply reacting to circumstances or when it is acting outside or the normative response to day-to-day events. It all can be overwhelming and confusing, but self-awareness is key to dealing with these issues. Making a mess on canvas is also a great way to let it out!

I'm Not Confused, You're Confused
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas & Canvas Panel
12" x 16"
2023



This following painting, which also deals with mental illness in the same way, is dedicated to my beloved wife, Kristal KC. Kristal, who is an amazing artist and the awesome mother to my children also battles with mental illness, but came out strong and thriving. So we are one crazy couple! What a journey! I am refraining from elaborating upon it too much here because this is her battle, one that we certainly went through together, but it would be for her to decide if she wants to talk about it, and I know that she does want to. When she is ready, I will certainly make a post about it with her. Much like the previous piece, and as the title states, it is about coming out of a state of chaos. The first key was to understand that you were in a state of chaos that was outside of your control in order to seek a way out.

Out of Chaos
Acrylic on Stretched Canvas & Canvas Panel
10" x 12"
2023



www.pascalleocormier.com

© 2023 Pascal Leo Cormier. All Rights Reserved.