Paul Saindon – Artist Statement April 2026
When I stop for an instant and look, I usually find beauty around me. I love making paints and colours express what I see. My passion is to share the impressions of everyday scenes that surround me.
I’ve always drawn since I was very young; the turning point for me was moving next door to plein air painter John Alexander Day here in Ottawa. He became my mentor, took me on plein air outings and I learned a lot from him.
I love the outdoors. For a few years I travelled form Ottawa to Charlevoix to paint its sights – mountains, the St.Lawrence, the countryside. Then I realized that what I find most important is not what I paint, but how I paint it. The light is everything, and I also find interesting views in the greater Ottawa area – anywhere between Metcalfe and Luskville, Almonte and Plaisance. I also went from using acrylics to oils when painting outside, for two reasons: the oil paints can be used in much colder weather, allowing me to paint winter scenes, and I find oil paints more expressive in terms of gestures, brushstrokes, etc.
My studio pieces are done with acrylic, collages, and more exploratory techniques. My subjects are often chosen from the chaos of every day life. I prefer subjects with good tonal contrasts, interiors and human figures. I avoid any kind of formula. Life is so much more creative than I could ever be.
A recent communiqué from the Sarah Moffat Gallery (April 2026) :
“ Paul paints ‘en plein air’ and he’s one of the passionate ones because he tackles it all…skyscrapers from a Toronto balcony, a farmer’s field at sunset, fog in the Rockies, a room full of musicians, an urban snowbank (…) Gazing at his work, I feel like we’ve been invited on his journey, and we get to experience his physical and emotional engagement to the places he discovers, the nuance of light, detail, texture, imperfections. His work feels atmospheric and intuitive and at the same time grounded and sincere. There’s a comfortable brilliance to them and I would have a really hard time picking a favorite.”
CV
Training
Self-taught; Oil and Acrylic painting with Susan Feindel, Ottawa School of Art, 1993
Theory of Colours with Lucia de Marinis, Ottawa School of Art, 1994
Plein air painting workshops with John Alexander Day, 1998 – 2004
Springmaid Watermedia Workshops, SC, with Carla O’Connor – Composition Structures, 2007
Art2Life / Creative Visionary Program with Nicholas Wilton, 2026
Symposiums
Regular participation in art symposiums in Ottawa (Art in the Park), Québec (Route de la Nouvelle France, Boischatel; Rêves d’automne, Baie-Saint-Paul, Kamouraska), and NB (Rendez-Vous des Artistes) since 2006
Publications and Awards :
Awarded ‘Visual Impact’ prize at the 2024 Kamouraska Painting Symposium.
Peoples Choice and 3 rd place, National Painting Contest ‘Rêves d’automne 2015’, Baie-Saint-Paul, with the painting “Illumination”.
Awarded 4 th place in the international acrylic painting contest from “The Artist’s Magazine”, October 2012
Cover of the book « le Commerce International », Chenelière, ed., 2009
Article in the book « How to Paint People and Figures », International Artist, ed., 2004
Article « L’impressionisme de Paul Saindon » by Claude Bouchard, « Le Droit », 2004
Vernissages and other events
April 2026, Group show, “Landscapes”, Sarah Moffat Art Gallery, Carleton Place, ON.
November 2023, Vernissage, “The Poetry of Light”, Espace33 Gallery, Gatineau, Qc
November 2021, Vernissage, “Harmony”, Espace33 Gallery, Gatineau, Qc
June 2021, Group show, ‘Abstract + Landscape’, Sarah Moffat Art Gallery, Carleton Pl, ON
June 2018, Guest Artist, Symposium de peinture de Baie-Comeau
October 2016, Vernissage, “Nues”, Espace33 Gallery, Gatineau, Qc
Oct 2016 – Jan 2017, Vernissage, Mississipi Mills Public Art Galleries
October 2016, Guest Artist at the Vallée-Jonction Art Symposium
December 2014, Vernissage From Plein Air to Studio, Espace33 Gallery, Gatineau, Qc
November 2014, Featured Artist for November 17 in « Fine Art Views », (web). Article by Carrie Turner.
Spring 2014, A series of 11 workshops on « Introduction to Painting », Ottawa Public Library.
October 2011, Vernissage Recent Works, Espace33 Gallery, Gatineau, Qc.
October 2010, Jury member, Ottawa Art Expo, 29 Oct.
May 2010, Guest Artist at the Symposium de la Route de la Nouvelle France, Boischatel, Qc
March 2010, Vernissage, La Petite Fanfare Gallery, Old Chelsea, Qc
December 2009, Vernissage New Works , Artguise Gallery, Ottawa, Dec 2009 – Jan 2010
October 2009, Group Show ‘Friends of the Farm’, Ottawa, On
April 2009, Foreword The Paintings of Pam Rice, vol. II , published in Chicago, Ill.
February 2009, Vernissage Transitions, Artguise Gallery, Ottawa, 6 Feb – 6 March
November 2008, The painting Marché et immeubles was chosen as cover illustration of the book Commerce International , Chenelière ed
April 2008, Article by Jim Donnelly in Weekly Journal of Ottawa, 11 April 2008.
April 2008, Featured Artist, Rothwell-Hauck Gallery, Ottawa, On
October 2007, Vernissage Paul Saindon, Époque Gallery, Aylmer, QC
June 2007, Group Show Spring, Rothwell-Hauck Gallery, Ottawa
July 2006, Group Show, Rothwell-Hauck Gallery, Ottawa
September 2005, Three works sold to the Canadian embassy in Lebannon
April 2005, Vernissage, Époque Gallery, Aylmer, Qc
February 2005, Place à la musique, Group Show, Galerie du Parc, Old Chelsea, QC
December 2004, Group Show, Rothwell Galery, Ottawa
June 2004, Vernissage “Plein Air Ottawa” with John A. Day, Galerie du Parc, Old Chelsea, Qc
May 2003, Vernissage, Époque Gallery, Aylmer, Qc
October 2001, Vernissage, Époque Gallery, Aylmer, Qc
Art Galleries:
Espace 33, 33 rue Principale, Gatineau, Qc www.espace33.ca
Sarah Moffat Art, 50 Bennett St., Carleton Place, ON www.sarahmoffat.com
Paul Saindon 