Assis dans l’automne

Painting the Soul of the Quebec Landscape

Marc Grandbois is a Quebec painter known for his remarkable ability to capture the essence of natural landscapes with rare emotional intensity. Born with an artistic sensitivity nurtured from an early age by his rural surroundings and the shores of the St. Lawrence River in Mauricie, he went on to study visual arts at Concordia University, graduating in 1991. In 2010, he settled in L’Anse-Saint-Jean, in the Saguenay region—a land that would become an endless source of inspiration for his work.

Originally a watercolorist, Grandbois gained recognition in the 1990s for the delicacy of his treatment of light and transparency. He later expanded his practice to acrylic painting, a medium that allowed him to further explore material, texture, and gesture. His artistic approach is rooted in plein air painting, a method that leads him to create directly in nature, in constant dialogue with the elements. His style lies at the intersection of contemporary Impressionism and gestural Expressionism. Rather than faithfully reproducing reality, he seeks to convey its energy, movement, and emotion. His brushstrokes are dynamic, his palette vibrant, and his compositions radiate a visual strength that transcends mere representation. Each canvas becomes a sensory experience, an immersion into the changing light, winds, tides, or forests of Quebec.

His work reflects a deep connection to the land, which he explores tirelessly. The boreal forest and its peatlands, the Saguenay Fjord, and the shores of the St. Lawrence River are dominant themes in his artistic journey. His paintings are part of numerous private and public collections in Quebec and abroad.

Marc Grandbois is a painter of life, breath, and light. Through his work, he invites us to see the landscape differently—not as a backdrop, but as a vibrant, ever-changing being.