The first time I met Michèle Berard was at a dog park, though neither of us actually had a dog. She had come to soak in the lively atmosphere, which she said always sparked her creativity. Mitch was quick to share the things she loves—old family photos, colour gradients, flowers—and she spoke with a fondness for small dogs, marvelling at how fierce they are despite their size.
That warm summer day, we strolled from the park to her studio, where she showed me her work: vibrant, floral-inspired pieces. Her paintings carried a quiet sense of nostalgia, with thin, layered strokes of paint creating a delicate depth that softened the subject into something dreamlike.
It feels as though her imagery has been bathed in sunlight for too long, leaving behind just enough detail to suggest a landscape glowing faintly beneath the light. Mitch has this wonderful way of capturing glow in painting—just like her warm, easy presence that day at the park.
– Written by Marc-Antoine D.R, close friend
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Which ‘hood are you in?
I have lived in Villeray for 10 years and I love this neighborhood. My workshop is located in the central market. I love that the workshop is close to the house, it’s crucial. The light and the sunsets are incredible at the workshop, I am pampered.
What do you do?
I mainly work in painting and print media. I also do frameworks. I approach framing as an extension of my artistic practice.
What are you currently working on?
I’m working on a series of giant fuzzy flowers. I explore very large formats on paper. I would really like to paint on cars and make new murals.
I want to further my research on the anatomy of colors and I dream of having a garage to paint.
I made some French wine labels, a colourful shower curtain with Costume de bain, notebooks with Mossery and other collabs that will be released this spring.
Where can we find your work?
It’s always better seeing the work in person, painting is an in-person experience, it happens in the real rather than on a screen, you have to feel it to understand the interaction it’s triggering for you.
My work can be found online on my website and social media and my picture framing project is here.
