Featured Artist Guy Trinquet

Artist Guy Trinquet shares a collection of atmospheric seascapes and mountain scenes. View more of his portfolio on his website.

 

 

A few years ago, I couldn’t have imagined being a finalist in The Glover Prize, one of Australia’s most prestigious landscape art prizes. For most of my life, I worked in “conventional” roles, only painting sporadically when I could fit it in. Despite that, I always considered myself an artist. It was part of my identity.

 

 

French-born, I grew up in Paris where my interest in art was nurtured by visits to galleries and museums. After several career changes, I moved to Australia in 2005 where I first worked as a makeup artist.

 

 

When I opened a business in Melbourne in 2014, I painted a few canvasses to dress the white walls of my shop. Even though they were intended as decorations, people started to buy my art. This encouraged me to paint even more. I would paint to replace the sold artwork so new paintings were regularly on display. Ironically, that business, which was unrelated to art, was what kickstarted my painting journey in a serious way.

 

 

In 2019, I closed that business and started focusing on painting. I didn’t let obstacles such as my age, gaps in knowledge or lack of formal training in art discourage me.

 

 

As a self-taught artist, I experiment and research obsessively. I take bold approaches in testing out my ideas, invest in different supplies to find out what works, and search for ways to bring what’s in my head out on the canvas.

 

 

I’m not afraid of making mistakes when I’m painting as I know that I can either learn from them or fix them. My style and what I paint have evolved quickly as a result.

 

 

My paintings can be described as atmospheric landscapes. My intention is to interpret the mood I associate with a place or event, not to replicate a realistic-looking landscape.

 

 

My seascapes featuring low horizons, vast skies and fleeting clouds are created mostly wet on wet with brushes. Oil is my preferred medium for seascapes. I love the flexibility and depth I get from using oil.

 

 

My mountains which have a granular texture and feel are applied mostly with knife. I use mixed media for my mountains, leaving each layer to dry before the next step.

 

 

This phase of my life could be described as my third act. It’s immensely fulfilling to finally be doing what I’ve always wanted to do. It’s also extremely rewarding when buyers from different parts of the world resonate with my art at some level. That’s the beauty of art—it transcends borders, language and culture.

 

Artist Guy Trinquet invites you to follow him on Instagram and Facebook.

 

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