Biography

Nathalie Grenier was born in 1968. She is originally from Beauport (Quebec). She studied hairdressing and aesthetics before moving into visual arts through workshops in 2008, with Anne-Marie Kirouac. In 2016, she did a one-week semi-private workshop in landscape painting with Juan Cristobal Pinochet. In 2017 and 2018, she attended development and improvement workshops at Ni Vu Ni Cornu, in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (Quebec) with Annie Lévesque and Sophie Ouellet. It is a sustained accompaniment in her journey that continues with artistic training in 2017, with Jeanne Couture, who delivers “The keys of the professional artist: the primer of the place of visual arts in Quebec”; a useful tool for career development. In 2018, Nathalie Grenier continued her training with Roxanne Gingras, art consultant, art historian and curator. Then, more recently, in 2021, she develops other artistic skills in watercolor workshops led by Marie-Claude Langevin. The artist does not stop there. She is also in personal coaching with the artist ARO (Caroline Bergeron).

 Art, this passion

Nathalie Grenier grew up in a modest environment; she is the fifth of a family of seven children. She grew up in a loving environment. The family home, always crowded, was a gathering place, a festive and warm home. Her brother Michel had a gift for drawing and young Nathalie greatly admired this particular talent. As for her father, he had a talent for building and making furniture. From an early age, she was interested in art. She was attracted to drawing and water-based paints, such as gouache and watercolor. She also builds works with wooden sticks and tinkers with anything she can get her hands on. From her first year of high school, the young student has been very creative. It was through her art teacher, Jeannine Beaudoin, that her passion developed further. Jeannine introduced her to drawing, and as soon as she had the opportunity, the student went to her mentor’s studio at lunchtime to draw and learn different artistic techniques. However, the hazards of life made her choose another professional path. Nathalie Grenier is the mother of three boys and devotes herself to her family and the family business.

It is only in the early 2000’s that Nathalie Grenier will return to visual arts and plastic arts. It was while walking in the city that she discovered by chance a work of Danielle Richard in the window of an art gallery. This old passion for art, asleep for years, will suddenly wake up. Upon her return home, she begins to read everything about the artist; her background and her work. Danielle Richard is truly the spark that will lead her to buy art books and to seriously resume her artistic path.

Her career

In 2017, in parallel to her artistic training, she was invited alongside other artists to paint and exchange on different techniques during a day at Laurie Marois’ studio. That same year, during the Journées de la culture, she did a live painting performance with the Ni Vu Ni Cornu workshops in Sainte-Anne-de-Beaupré (Quebec). Then, in 2018-2019, she participates in the exhibition “Pop Up” at the Galerie Ni Vu Ni Cornu, located at Place Ste-Foy in Quebec City. In 2019, during a silent auction, she donated a work of art for the fundraiser “La vie après la vie” for the “J’allume une étoile” Foundation with the Rotary Club. In 2021, she did a live painting performance during the Journées de la culture at the Centre communautaire Desjardins in Fossambault-sur-le-Lac (Quebec). In November 2021, she participated in the Salon de Noël de la MRC de Sainte-Catherine-de-la-Jacques-Cartier. She presents original works and derived products.

 The mediums used by the artist are oil paint, watercolor and acrylic paint. Nathalie Grenier is a figurative painter who also practices abstract art. Her contemporary influences are numerous, notably Danielle Richard pastelliste, who awakened her desire to become a professional artist, Nathalie Picoulet pastelliste, Mathieu Isabelle sculptor, Lyse Paquette painter, Cécile Desserle plasticienne, Loui Jover painter, etc.

Today, the Quebec City artist continues her training while pursuing her artistic career.

____

Biography written by HeleneCaroline Fournier, art expert and theorist, specialized editor, critic, journalist, collection evaluator