By Patricia Balcom
The next time you’re walking on Sussex Drive between Clarence and Murray and see an inukshuk on the sidewalk, turn right and enter the vibrant world of the Trebor Art Gallery.
September 15 marks the first anniversary of the gallery at its location at 453 Sussex. About a year before the pandemic, artist-owner Georges Robert opened a small gallery in Gatineau near the Canadian Museum of History, but had to shut it down in 2020. The location in Gatineau was “a great spot,” but he finds that Sussex Drive is “even better,” given its proximity to the National Gallery of Canada.
His painting technique is unique. He starts with a photo he’s taken during his widely travelled life, ranging from Mount Fuji to Saudi Arabia, but also including Canadian sites like Emerald Lake in the Yukon, and closer to home the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival.
He draws an outline on canvas in pencil and covers it with “a thin seam of acrylic paint.” He then uses oil paint with extra solvents and linseed oil to fill it in. He also uses additives — his favourite is pure high gloss — with the amount of gloss determining the degree of light reflection. Each “cell” has a different variation of high gloss in it, which makes for “fantastic, colourful paintings” and gives his works a three-dimensional depth.
Georges developed this process starting roughly eight years ago, assisted by his background in chemistry and light physics. As he explained: “I threw out a lot of paint and I threw out a lot of canvasses but finally I got at least the basics down.” He is a self-taught artist who paints with his emotions: “Like if I get up this morning and I feel the sky is green, okay I’m going to paint a green sky.”
The Trebor Art Gallery also represents three other artists. Margaret Chwialkowska and Doris Genest also paint with oils in very different styles, but they share with Georges Robert an amazing and original use of brilliant colours. Jane Christie’s work is quite different, consisting of recycled fabric on a metal frame which she paints once it is dry. Some of her works are currently featured in the window.
If you don’t have room on your walls for another painting but would like to take some vivid colours home with you, the Boutique Trebor offers scarves and aprons, as well as cards, jewellery and dream catchers.
Georges told me that people who come into the gallery are attracted by “the joyousness of the colours” and the “atmosphere of happiness.”
If you have an itching desire to touch a painting and experience the joy of beautiful works in dazzling colours, drop by and wish Georges a happy first anniversary of the gallery. May there be many more!