Annette Courtemanche

Artist Statement: I am a Toronto-based artist, and my love of drawing and painting started at an early age. I was born on a tropical island and moved to Canada with my family in my teens. Many of my paintings reflect the connection to both places by using bold colours as well as rich shades of blue which ties and connects both places to water. ​ Painting takes me to remembered places and places not yet explored, physically and emotionally. I observe and retain the colour and textures of things all around me and when I paint it is my interpretation of how it feels, it is my language of expression. Working primarily with acrylic paint on canvas, I am an intuitive artist and I love playing with colours especially blues! I like to take time playing and utilizing various tools and brushes for exploring movement, texture and colour on the canvas allowing it to evolve as I respond to what I am feeling when I paint. The chaos of the outside world is momentarily nonexistent, and I am in a place of contemplation and exploration. My art allows me to make sense of the world, and it is in this creative process that I find true freedom. Each viewer’s experience is unique, shaped by their own perceptions, and art becomes my language to connect with the viewer exploring their own inner landscapes.

​I tend to overthink and when I paint it is an emotional release, an opportunity to free myself and quiet my inner trappings. I am striving to let go of control and it is a process I am exploring as I continue my art journey. I am influenced and strive to explore and understand works by Cecily Brown, Joan Mitchell, William de Kooning, Rothko, to name a few. When I am not immersed in creating art, I enjoy gardening, working on local community projects, making Italian food and savouring red wine.

Annette Courtemanche pursued academic studies at the University of Toronto which included art history courses before delving into Contemporary painting at the AGO with Michael Toke. She is a founding member of the Christie Pit Artists Group which promotes artistic engagement in this richly diverse Toronto neighbourhood. She is a contributor to the vibrant local art scene, and her pieces can be found in places ranging from local cafes to Canadian living-rooms, to a city dental practice for which she completed three commissioned works in 2024.

Here are some of her notable exhibits: Tarragon Theatre Lobby Gallery, 2024 Shevchenko Museum Library Galleries, 2024 Emily Rose Cafe, Toronto, ON 2023 AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) “Portraits of Reliance” (June-August 2022) Square Foot Show, Virtual 2022 Roaring Art Gallery, Virtual “Hear Us Roar & Powerful Little Things” 2021-22 Toronto Public Library, Bloor and Gladstone Branch 2019