Artist Nicolas Martin invites us into his world. With an education in fine arts and graphic design, he explains how these domains influence his painting, what his key themes are, and his journey towards free expression.

Having received an education in fine arts and graphic design, what is the influence of design on your painting?

It's both an asset and a weakness in relation to my own artistic approach. This experience has given me a sharp eye for things, a deep visual demand, a sense of composition, an attention to the relationship between lines and shapes, to color combinations, and to the arrangement of elements. I've gained solid experience in graphic design and interior design, working as a designer and artistic director for several companies.

However, when I allowed painting to take full precedence in my life, I realized that design could hinder my artistic development. Design is based on many rules and principles, a rigor that, ultimately, didn't allow me to express myself as I wished. I was seeking pictorial authenticity, whereas design, in a way, compartmentalized me. I had to learn to think differently, to question the rules I had been taught.

It took me a long time to understand and adopt a new way of seeing things. I wanted to be free, where everything didn't need to be perfect.

And conversely, how does your art education influence your work as a designer?

Today, I know that if I were to design anything, my painting would have a great influence. I would break codes, I would seek imperfection, shifts. I would let my artistic evolution express itself fully, without worrying about the codes, laws, or inherent rules of design. I believe this would bring me a lot in terms of originality and visual richness.

What are the recurring themes in your art?

My painting has always been driven by an obsession with the representation of light. It sets the tempo for what surrounds us. Light, and its interaction with the environment, is generally the origin of my subjects.

My art is intimately linked to what I experience. During the Covid period, I painted many scenes of solitary interiors, where light became the main figure. This period, marked by isolation, didn't allow me to see many people, so I painted what inspired me at that specific moment in my life.

Today, I like to represent scenes from life, often crossed by a gesture, an attitude, a movement. I like to paint these suspended moments, seemingly mundane, where an action is in progress without being fully explained, thus leaving the observer the freedom to appropriate the story.

You lived in Paris and now work in Montreal. How do these different urban environments influence your subjects, and do you perceive a difference in the themes addressed?

Yes, that's for sure. I grew up and lived in urban environments, and that's part of me. I find Montreal to be a fantastic city to paint. There's a great variety of atmospheres, and I've painted several canvases there in the past. Most of the time, these were night scenes. The best example is the painting Nightwalk.

As for Paris, what inspired me the most were the mythical places linked to painters of the past, like La Grande Chaumière, an emblematic artists' studio. I love places, the history behind the stones, no matter where it is. I love to learn from the places I have the chance to discover.

When you tackle a painting, is everything meticulously prepared or are you more into improvisation? What is your process?

I have a certain routine, and I need entire days to paint. I never start a canvas knowing that I won't have time to finish it. Regarding preparation, yes, everything is thought out beforehand, while still leaving a lot of freedom during the process.

I often paint from photos or visuals. These are thought out, created, then modified according to my pictorial vision. They serve as a basis for developing my idea on the canvas. My approach is structured upstream, then instinctive during execution. The more solid and organized my base, the more freely I can express myself. I use the same brush throughout the process to maintain a certain homogeneity in my brushstrokes. My palette is a glass plate with a neutral gray background, which allows me to better perceive my colors.

When is a painting finished?

I currently paint all my canvases alla prima, in a single session. It was by observing my five-year-old daughter draw and paint that I understood what I needed. Children create their works, most often, in a single go, which gives a spontaneous and immediate result. This made me want to paint only alla prima.

I went through years of constant dissatisfaction, during which I constantly retouched my works, until they lost all spontaneity. I no longer knew how to look at or appreciate my work. Today, each of my touches is definitive. Painting alla prima is also accepting not to correct oneself afterward. It's painting without a net, and having that awareness at the moment of the gesture changes everything. I am no longer in trial-and-error, nor in automatic correction in search of an ideal of beauty. I like the idea of a certain controlled awkwardness. I want my painting to be free.

Other than painting, do you practice other forms of art?

I've played guitar since I was a child. I also enjoy playing the ukulele and piano occasionally. I love all forms of art, and I'm a curious person. One day, I'd like to get closer to cinema; I've always had that in mind. Cinema is a very important source of inspiration for me.

Do you have an upcoming exhibition where we can see your work?

Yes, I will have my first solo exhibition in Montreal this Friday, October 3rd, at Galerie BBAM! on Atwater Street. Nothing makes me happier today than to exhibit here.

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To learn and see more of Nicolas Martin's work, visit his website and follow him on Instagram.

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