Yves
Lanthier has been profiled in numerous publications including Florida
Design, Art Business News, Palm Beach Illustrated, Boca Raton News and
named one of the World’s Best Trompe L’Oeil Artists.
In
December 2004, "The art of Trompe L'Oeil murals" a
book about his life and most prominent work was published by
F&W Publication. Now available at any major book store or
autographed personally by the artist from this website!
2005-2006
Yves started teaching his workshop "The Art of trompe L'Oeil
murals" in several school, (See
more info).
In
Depth.
Article
by Ruth Blake.
Trompe l'oeil literally translates from
French to mean "fools the eye." One of the most difficult of
all artistic effects to achieve, trompe l'oeil demands a meticulous
attention to detail by the artist. Nuances of
light, gradations of color and correct sizing must be skillfully
incorporated so as to make the two-dimensional work seem to
be three-dimensional.
The journey that led Yves Lanthier to become a master of this style
of painting began in St. Jerome, Quebec and continued with his
travels to India and the Himalayas in the early 1970's, through
Munich, Amsterdam, Paris and Italy, before returning to North America in
the 1980's. This vagabond existence helped to shape the artist he has
become today. "Everywhere I went, I saw the world as a painter
would see it," Yves explains in his soft, French-accented English.
As he traveled and each new scene unfolded, he would meditate about
how he would transfer that vision to canvas- how colors would be mixed,
or the lights and shadows would fall or lines of perspective be
placed to bring those visions alive again.
Yves is a completely self-taught artist, who discovered his gift at a
very young age. "It all started in the first grade," he says.
During a drawing class, an assignment was given to sketch a person that
the students liked. "Without any thought, I moved to the front of
the class and started drawing my teacher, portrait style (I must admit I
had a little boy crush on her, so this seemed natural!). I was so
involved, and when I woke out of my trance, to my surprise almost the
entire class was surrounding me, admiring my sketch." Throughout
his school years, Yves continued to draw and experiment with
painting techniques, poring over illustrated books and studying the
works and individual styles of the great Renaissance masters late into
the night. "Sometimes I almost felt as if the masters themselves
were there, teaching and guiding me. I foresaw myself, through the
stages of my life, traveling to different parts of the world- living
free and fulfilling my deepest desires and passions."
By day, exhausted, he would often sleep through his classes, though
he maintained top grades. When he was 17, his parents,
sensing his lack of interest in more traditional careers, sent him to
India to visit his aunt, a missionary in the Tamil Nadu district. The
experience moved him deeply. "I was introduced to Yoga, which I
still practice to this day, and I was taught to play the bamboo flute by
Indian musicians," he recalls. In Venares, he attended an annual
music festival which was held in large temples and ancient buildings,
creating a magical surrounding for the event. "Everyone was sitting
on the floor, with musicians on a center stage raging through the night
with their instruments. I could not believe the marvelous and enchanted
music, this incredible hidden talent appearing right before me. The
energy and strong emotion, the constant change of rhythm in an intricate
composition, would keep everyone awake and alert through the night, as
the full moon and the lanterns revealed strong shadows of the carved
stone details, statues and columns."
That first enthralling trip lasted for a year. After a
short-lived return to Canada, he ventured abroad once more, traveling
through Paris, Amsterdam and Europe before returning to India and the
Himalayas where he stayed for most of the next fifteen
years. In addition to French and English, Lanthier learned to speak
Hindi, Urdu, a bit of Sanskrit, and Tibetan.
Hiking through the mountains, carrying a little flute that he would
play sometimes, he would come upon remote villages, some rarely if
ever visited by outsiders. At 6'4", towering over the people
living there but speaking their language, he would be greeted and
revered as a holy man or even as a god. The villagers would
welcome him into their homes and he became their link to news of the
outside world. Eventually, he discovered a place called "Manaly",
or "Valley of God". It was beautiful with fruit trees that the
British had planted nearly a century before. "Here the earth was so
rich, the water so pure and the local fruits and vegetables so
unbelievable, I felt as if I had never tasted real food before."
Yves rented a large house and, to earn a little money, took in
European and American tourists as paying guests, leading them on
expeditions into the mountains. He also sketched and continued
to study art. In those days, traditional painting supplies
were hard to come by, so he worked with what he had, thinning the oil
paints with motor oil instead of the usual linseed. "I only have a
few of those paintings in my possession now, but those have darkened
considerably over the years," he says with a laugh.
In the early 1980's, Lanthier left India, determined to pursue
his dream of becoming an artist. He followed one of the ancient trade
routes from the Middle East to Europe, traveling through
Afghanistan, Iran and Turkey, then Greece, where he stayed for a
few months, painting the vibrant Mediterranean village scenes. After a
brief sojourn in Europe, he made his way back to Canada. At
the time, his mother, a professional caterer and business woman, was
opening a disco. "This is where I painted my first mural,"
Yves describes. It was a woman's face, with her hair running along the
back walls- "a bit visionary and modern, but a mural
nonetheless!"
After that, used to the warmer climates of south Asia, Yves decided
to follow his sister and brother to Florida. "I started a little
painting business," he says. "I would wake up around 4 o'clock
in the morning, work on my own painting until eight or nine, then go to
work painting the insides of apartments." One day he answered a
newspaper ad and was hired by a group of French artists working on a
Palm Beach mansion. Initially he worked on areas already started by the
other artists, but soon he was assigned to create new designs. He worked
on that project for a year, painting trompe l'oeil doors and
ceiling designs, and embellishing architectural elements of the home
with intricate details. He also learned that for an artist to be
successful commercially, it was important to be able to work with speed,
choosing larger brushes and laying in the details quickly.
Later, a lucky encounter at the local library with an architect who
was developing several large homes in Boca Raton led to more commissions
to create trompe l'oeil domes, rotundas and murals. Each project took a
minimum of four to six weeks to complete, while the biggest dome
took six months. In 1998, he was hired to create exquisite trellis
work, faux stone and trompe l'oeil scenes for Celine Dion's new
Jupiter Island estate. His murals began to adorn the East
Coast mansions and estates of the super-wealthy, as well as the
interiors of large yachts.
As Yves completed designs and built his portfolio, he kept meticulous
photographic records of his work. "I always had it in mind to do a
book when I had enough material," he explains. In 2003, he pitched
the idea to North Light Books, a prestigious publisher of art and art
instruction books. The editors were intrigued and promptly gave Lanthier
a contract. "The Art of Trompe L'Oeil Murals" was published in
December of 2004 to critical acclaim (it has a five-star rating on
Amazon.com). A lovely, full color "coffee-table sized"
book, it showcases some of Lanthier's best work and includes step-by
step demonstrations to help the aspiring artist learn a few of the
techniques that Lanthier has developed.
"The hardest part for an artist is sometimes just to
begin," Lanthier says. "taking the dirty tubes, spreading out
the materials...but then the inspiration starts- like a song, it flows
by itself- and then you come up with something unique!"
Besides the classical realism of trompe l'oeil, Yves has worked in
the surrealistic style for some years, covering large canvases with
mystical scenes inspired by his world travels.These paintings often
incorporate fantastical and mysterious characters on desert
landscapes against vivid cerulean blue skies. Lanthier will not give an
explanation of these paintings to the observer. "I
feel it was from my time in India that I gained many of the ideas I have
now. I believe I have something to say. It is up to the viewer to
decide what it means."
In the 1990's Yves began experimenting with Corel Draw as a new
medium, ultimately winning awards for some of the art that he created
with this computer program. He dismisses the idea that computer
generated art is not "real" art, noting that the artist
works with an electronic tablet and pen, transferring colors on the
screen. "It is just another tool," he points out, "like
Jimi Hendrix's guitar." Asked if there are any other mediums that
he would yet like to experiment with, Lanthier laughs. "If you gave
me a studio with all the tools, I'd probably hammer some stuff!"
Most recently, Yves has begun teaching trompe l'oeil seminars in
North America and in Europe. During intensive, five day workshops,
beginning and experienced artists complete an actual trompe l'oeil
painting on canvas, learning the secret techniques of
the master muralist that Lanthier has developed. He is eager to
pass on the knowledge he has acquired. "I
think it is important to leave some type of legacy to the upcoming
generation- that is becoming more and more rare," he emphasizes. Over
the next year, workshops, which include all the materials needed to
finish the painting, are being held in the Baltimore area, Mount Dora,
Florida, Paris and Italy (more information can be found at www.yvesart.com-
click on "seminars").
In 2004, in search of a more peaceful existence, Lanthier moved from
South Florida to Lake County, purchasing a lakefront home in Umatilla,
where he lives half the year, returning to Canada every summer. He paints
as the mood strikes him, with periods of intense creative activity which
he describes as "just going with the flow...like falling in
love." Currently, his work is sold online through his
website, www.yvesart.com.
Art lovers can commission custom trompe l'oeil murals, purchase original
paintings, or choose any of Yves' designs and have them printed to size
on canvas (the giclee process of color transfer and reproduction makes
owning a "painting" affordable for all). The canvas can be
hung as art, or combined with architectural elements in the home,
mimicing the look of an authentic, handpainted mural.
What does the future hold for this gentle and soft-spoken artist?
"I am still developing as an artist and making a name for
myself," he affirms. "Greatness comes with compassion, and an
understanding of the unknown." He would like to work on several
more books that would incorporate his art with his travel memoirs and
the spiritual insights that he has gained through his experiences.
"And then I would like to travel again," he says "back to
India...South America....Europe....it is all inspirational for my
art!"
